Chapter 129

Chapter 129

“Quit hogging Kennedy! Don’t you remember she’s still mad at you?” Danny called out loudly, breaking the snowy silence.

“You’re not doing yourself any favors either. She’s only sticking close to me to get away from you, you fool,” I shot back, feeling a mix of amusement and irritation. “Whatever. She’s on my side now. She even dared Josh to a snowball fight,” Danny bragged.

“I did not!” I peeked cautiously around Ryker’s broad frame, only to be hit by two snowballs flying straight at us. I let out a startled squeak and ducked behind him again, heart racing.

Ryker chuckled, shaking his head. “I think I’m going to take your Luna inside for some food. We can’t have her freezing out here—gotta keep some meat on those bones.” He gave my side a playful pinch, making me squeal once more. “Besides, she’s starting to shiver. Unlike you two hotheads, she needs an extra layer p>

“Hothead? You’re the king of hotheads!” Danny protested, stepping back onto the deck with snow clinging to his hair and a wide, boyish grin lighting up his face.

“I’m not a hothead. I just have a low tolerance for nonsense,” I said, laughing now.

“Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving!” Danny wrapped his arm around my neck and tugged me forward, pulling me out of Ryker’s protective hold. “Then we need to figure out our plan for the day p>

Breakfast passed quietly, though I made sure to sit with my back to Amy. Her glare of pure hatred didn’t waver for a second. I wasn’t scared of her, but the intensity of her stare was definitely distracting. Just as we were leaving, Amy tried to catch Ryker’s attention, claiming there was an urgent matter that couldn’t wait.

I swear Robin must have some kind of sixth sense for drama in the packhouse. She appeared out of nowhere, ready to take the appointment and get the details, allowing us to slip away without any hassle.

As Ryker led me down the long, quiet office hallway, I turned to ask him a question and realized we were alone again. I had no idea when Danny and the others had fallen behind. Before I could speak, Ryker opened a door I hadn’t even noticed before.

“I noticed you don’t really use the Luna’s office much, so I thought you might prefer this room,” he said softly.

I gave him a sharp look. “It’s not that I don’t like the office… I just never felt it was really mine. I didn’t want to mess anything up p>

“You can mess up anything you want here. This is your home,” he replied, stepping closer. “But I thought you might like this better.” He gently grabbed my shoulders and turned me around, and I was left speechless.

The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves made of dark wood-the same rich wood I associated with the bedrooms throughout the Dark Moon packhouse. Almost every wall was covered except for the one with large windows that looked out onto the snowy forest. The view was breathtaking, the winter landscape stretching endlessly beyond.

“What is this place?” I asked, stepping inside and running my fingers along the crowded shelves. There were so many books, I wasn’t sure where to begin.

“It’s a kind of library,” Ryker explained. “My dad and some of the elders started collecting information and history about our pack, tracing it back to its origins. Then they began adding details from the other packs we’ve brought into the fold. I’ve spent a lot of time here, trying to figure out what to do with our current situation. I thought you’d appreciate a change of scenery, and maybe you’d find something I missed p>

“This is incredible,” I breathed, pulling a worn leather-bound book from the shelf. “What’s this one?” I asked, flipping through the yellowed pages.

Ryker stepped up behind me and peered over my shoulder. “That’s our family history. I think it goes back about ten generations p>

The weight of that knowledge made the book feel even more precious. I traced my fingers over the unfamiliar names, knowing I’d learn their stories soon enough. I had so little left from my own parents; both were only children, and their parents had passed away before I was born.

“Have you read through all these books?” I asked, glancing around at the hundreds of volumes packed tightly onto the shelves.

“Not all of them. I started with the ones I thought would have the most relevant information. There have been human mates in our lineage, but none were mated to an alpha or future alpha, which I found interesting. I never really looked that closely before,” he said thoughtfully.

“Really? Do any of the elders from the packs we’ve acquired know anything about that?” I pressed.

“Still nothing concrete to confirm or deny what Jeremiah’s elders claimed. But we’ll get to that later.” He took the book from my hands and carefully placed it back on the shelf. “So, what do you think of this room p>

“It’s amazing! I love the books and the wood. It feels so inviting and cozy,” I admitted.

“What if I told you it’s yours now?” Ryker asked quietly.

I blinked, surprised. “What p>

“It’s right next to mine, so you won’t be far. But you seem more comfortable here than in the office my mother designed. If you’re going to work with me, I want you to have a place where you feel at home. And you’re not wrong—the Luna is very important and should be involved. I also heard you were planning on business school before I turned your life upside down. If you still want to pursue that, I’ll make sure it happens p>

“Ryker, that’s too much,” I said, overwhelmed.

“It’s not enough. But I’m working on it,” he replied with a smile.