Chapter 222 What Happened in Chamber 608?

A few minutes later, Skylar came downstairs to retrieve the earbud he’d left on the feeding table.

The moment he stepped into the chamber, his eyes landed on Brooklyn.

He slowed.

“Pretty Lyn.” He tilted his head. “Why the long face?”

Brooklyn sighed and set her device down.

“Skylar, you shouldn’t have made things worse. Arianna’s father called.”

Skylar waved a hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll call him right now.” A grin flickered across his face. “Trust me, I know a little secret of his that could land him behind a dungeon if he ever decides to threaten you people.”

He slipped the earbud into his pocket.

“I’m sure Arianna didn’t tell him everything I said earlier. She probably thought I was bluffing.” He pointed at her. “So cheer up. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

Brooklyn narrowed her eyes.

“Are you sure? You’re not about to make things worse, are you?”

Skylar chuckled.

“Just wait.”

He turned toward the staircase.

“He’ll be calling back to apologize.”

With that, he headed upstairs.

As Lyn climbed the stairs, a smile lingered on her lips. Emma and Elara had been the ones to come up with the idea, and the more she thought about it, the more grateful she felt.

“Moonallies like them are exactly what people need,” she murmured to herself.

Her mood was lighter than it had been all day. She pushed open the door to their bedchamber and stepped inside, expecting to find Ken resting on the bed.

The chamber was empty.

She glanced around, then checked the en-suite bathchamber. When she found no sign of him there, she crossed to the walk-in closet and looked inside. Still nothing.

A faint frown touched her face.

Then she remembered.

Moving deeper into the closet, she slipped through the hidden door concealed behind a row of hanging clothes. The narrow staircase beyond wound downward to Ken’s private snug.

The chamber was dim except for the glow of the vision hearth mounted on the wall.

Ken was stretched across a three-seater sofa, one arm resting along the backrest. The flickering light danced across his face, but it did little to soften the hard look in his eyes.

Lyn slowed her steps.

He didn’t look up immediately. His attention remained fixed on the vision hearth, his expression unreadable.

She crossed the chamber and climbed onto the sofa beside him. When he made no move to stop her, she settled between his legs and rested her hands on his stomach.

Only then did his gaze shift briefly to her before returning to the screen.

Lyn gently rubbed her palms over his shirt.

“My heart,” she said softly, “I think Skylar only said those things to get under Arianna’s skin. You know how he is. He likes provoking people. He could have been lying.”

A faint crease appeared between Ken’s brows.

“Skylar doesn’t lie.”

His answer came without hesitation.

Lyn lingered beside him, her fingers still resting lightly against his arm as the words settled in her chest.

“So… what he said about Arianna’s father,” she asked quietly, looking at Ken’s face, “is that true?”

Ken leaned back in his chair, the leather shifting under his weight. His eyes stayed on the dim glow of the vision hearth for a moment before he answered.

“Yeah,” he said at last. “That’s why I already pity him. Whatever Skylar knows about David Grant… David wouldn’t want it out in the open.”

Lyn’s hand slipped from his arm.

Her brows pulled together. “Oh my goodness… Skylar said he was going to call him after I told him Arianna’s father reached out.”

Ken gave a short, humorless breath.

“And he did,” he said, voice lower now. “That’s what worries me.”

Lyn went still.

Ken’s fingers tapped once against the armrest before he spoke again, more slowly this time.

“David’s on medication. Stress like that… it’s not something he can just shake off.” His jaw tightened. “I don’t know what Skylar told him.”

The chamber fell quiet.

Only the faint hum of the vision hearth filled the space between them.

A few seconds later, Ken’s device vibrated on the table.

The screen lit up.

David Grant.

Ken glanced at the device again, jaw tightening slightly as it went dark.

“I told you,” he said, slipping it back into his palm. “That’s the fourth time he’s calling. My guess? His mate’s around him, so he keeps cutting it off.”

Lyn stepped closer, eyes searching his face.

“Then pick it up,” she said softly. “Find out what he wants.”

Ken didn’t move right away. He looked at it for a brief moment longer, then picked it up and rose to his feet as he answered.

His voice dropped as he stepped away, words measured, controlled. Lyn stayed seated, watching him pace slowly near the edge of the chamber, his back half-turned to her as he listened more than he spoke.

The call stretched on, his replies coming in low, careful bursts. Whatever was being said on the other end made him pause more than once, his free hand tightening briefly at his side before loosening again.

Twenty-five minutes passed like that—quiet tension, restrained voices, and the soft flicker of the vision hearth casting moving shadows across the walls.

When the call finally ended, Ken lowered the device and stood there for a moment without speaking, the silence heavier than before.

Lyn studied his profile as he continued staring at the device.

“What did he say?” Lyn asked, her eyes still fixed on Ken.

Ken exhaled through his nose, slipping the device back into his hand.

“He apologized,” he said. “Asked me to talk to Skylar on his behalf…”

He paused, jaw tightening slightly.

“And…” he added after a beat, “he promised Arianna won’t be a problem again.”

Lyn let out a short, disbelieving breath, shaking her head.

“Just like that? This is ridiculous,” she said.

Ken’s gaze lifted to hers, steady and unbothered.

“Like I said, Skylar doesn’t see any reason to lie,” he added. “If those words came out of his mouth, then that’s exactly what happened.”

Silence settled between them for a moment.

Lyn lowered her eyes to his chest, tracing absent circles against the fabric of his shirt.

“Then why are you upset?” she asked quietly.

Ken finally looked away from the screen.

His hand slid to her waist and rested there.

“I’m not upset because of what happened between them.” His jaw tightened. “That’s their business.”

He exhaled slowly and leaned his head back against the sofa.

“I’m angry at myself.”

She lifted her head.

He let out a humorless laugh.

“I knew Arianna was reckless. I knew she had no self-control and never thought things through, yet I still allowed her to spend four days here.”

His gaze darkened.

“I should have known she’d find a way to create trouble.”

Lyn slipped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek against his chest.

“None of this is your fault,” she said softly.

Ken’s hand moved through her hair, but the troubled look in his eyes remained.

He wasn’t worried about Arianna.

He was frustrated that he had seen the storm coming and still left the door open for it.

“You allowed her because of her father. Have you forgotten?”

“I shouldn’t have agreed! I have a mate!”

“It’s okay,” she said, moved closer, and held his head firmly on her bosom. He took a deep breath to show her how comfortable his head was on her bosom. She laughed and pushed him away. He giggled too.

“Please,” he said.

“Alright, ” she said and pressed his head on her bosom again. He put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.

“I hope the new revelation won’t change the way you see Skylar,” she said, fondling his hair.

“No, not all. I’ve always known that he sleeps with anyone who crushes on him. Honestly, I never knew he could comfortably sleep with Arianna without a second thought. They disrespected me though,” he said, and Lyn smirked.

“Only the goddess knows what he said to Arianna’s father,” Lyn muttered, shaking her head slightly. “Skylar is something else. He told me he was going to call David Grant… said he’d call back and apologize.”

His jaw tightened as he leaned back, eyes narrowing.

“Whatever it is,” he added, voice lower now, “I think Skylar is blackmailing him.”

Lyn’s gaze lifted at that, her brows drawing together as pieces began to click in her mind.

“I guess it has something to do with what he said about Chamber 608,” she said quietly.

He turned his head sharply. “He said that?”

“Yes,” she confirmed with a small nod.

A brief silence settled between them before he let out a slow breath, rubbing a hand across his jaw.

“Probably some mess… something about him cheating on his mate,” he said flatly. His eyes drifted away for a moment, then came back colder. “Whatever it is, I want Skylar to keep his mouth shut.”

“Alright, let’s go to bed,” she said and gave him a flirty stare.

**************

She was up before moonrise, already in the cookhouse when the house was still quiet.

Steam curled up from the pots as she moved around the counter, checking the food one after another. Vireya was supposed to be with her, but the girl never showed up.

Lyn glanced toward the door a few times, then shook her head softly. Probably Skylar again, she thought. Whatever he said, it was enough to keep Vireya avoiding him like a shadow.

Upstairs, the mansion was already alive somewhere beyond the silence. Ken and Skylar had gone down to the gym early, as usual.

The place was more like a private sports arena than a workout chamber. Machines lined one side—weights, treadmills, and rowers—while another corner held a punching bag and slam balls scattered on the floor. A separate space opened into a clean bathchamber and dressing area, and near the far wall sat a small detox bar.

Skylar always drifted toward the yoga mats without much effort, stretching like it came naturally to him, while Ken preferred the heavier side of things, the weights and machines that kept him locked in focus.

Past that, the game section sat untouched for now—arcades, bowling lanes, consoles, and a VR setup that Ken usually lost track of time in whenever the weekend came around.

By the time Lyn finished in the cookhouse, she wiped her hands on a towel and stepped out, following the soft noise from downstairs.

Anya was already setting the breakfast table, plates moving in a steady rhythm as she arranged everything.

She crossed through the hall and pushed into the gym.

Skylar noticed her first.

He straightened slightly from where he stood, then lifted a hand in a casual wave, a small smile already forming.

Lyn’s shoulders eased. She smiled back and gave a short wave of her own before moving further inside.

“Dude, I’m sorry,” Skylar said again, lingering by the bench.

Ken didn’t respond. His hands stayed locked on the bar, eyes forward, breathing even—like the chamber had only one person in it.

Skylar shifted his stance, watching him a moment longer.

“Ken…” he tried again, lighter this time. “You look exhausted. Guess you went a little too hard last moonfall.”

No reply.

At the doorway, Lyn slowed. Her fingers curled around the towel in her hands as she hovered there. Her mouth parted like she meant to speak, but she thought better of it. After a beat, she turned away and slipped back into the hall.

Metal met metal in a steady rhythm.

Minutes passed like that—breath, weight, silence.

Then Ken racked the bar.

He sat up, reached for the bottle at his feet, and twisted it open. Water disappeared in a few long pulls. The empty bottle dropped into the bin with a dull thump. He dragged the towel across his mouth, then his neck, slow and unbothered.

Only then did his eyes land on Skylar.

“You ever say no to she-wolves?” he asked, voice flat.

Skylar gave a short laugh, leaning back against the wall like the question amused him.

“Why would I?” Skylar said with a small shrug. “I don’t go after them. They come to me.”

Ken held his gaze for a beat, then looked away and went back to the bar.

“Learn to say no,” he said.

The words came out sharper this time.

“I’ll try,” Skylar answered, lifting a hand a little like he meant it.

“Good,” Ken said, already set back into his rhythm.

Skylar stayed where he was for a moment longer, then pushed off the wall.

“These she-wolves all have one thing in common,” he said.

Ken didn’t turn. “And that is?”

“They don’t come back after I’m done with them.” Skylar’s mouth tilted like it amused him. “Last time I was here, your cook showed up in the middle of the moonfall. She walked right into my chamber.”

Ken’s grip tightened.

The bar slowed for half a beat.

Skylar kept talking anyway.

“She didn’t leave until moonrise. Now she runs the moment she sees me.” He gave a light shrug. “Arianna was different though. She kept coming back.”

The bar dropped into place with a heavy clank.

Ken turned slowly. His smile faded a little. “You’re still…”

“Talking?” Skylar finished, low.

A silence stretched between them.

Skylar’s eyes flicked away.

“Yeah… I’m sorry,” he muttered.

“Skylar, when will you learn to control your mouth? You talk too much! Seriously, you need to stop telling people how you feel after having sėx with them. This is the only reason why they never come back after sleeping with you.”

“Wait…you don’t tell Brooklyn how you feel after banging her?” He asked, pointing at her.

“I tell her positive things.”

“You are lying to her?” He asked.

“No”

“Why do you want me to keep my mouth shut then? I tell them exactly how I feel.” He said.

“Share positive feelings with them and keep negative feelings to yourself!

Have you ever fallen in love?” Ken asked and Skylar scoffed.

“Love exists only in your world and that of Brandon Oliver Frostbane. I don’t talk about love,” he said.

Ken studied him for a few seconds, eyes narrowing slightly as he searched Skylar’s face.

“You’re blackmailing David Grant?”

Skylar’s grin disappeared.

“What happened in Chamber 608?”