Destined for Greatness ✔️

Chapter 21

Parker teleported Ryleigh to the middle of the woods.

"Where are we?" she asked. How many properties did the Shadow Walkers have? This was insane. She had always known they were a resourceful bunch, but she'd had no clue they had this many hiding places scattered across the country.

Parker turned her around, his hands lightly resting on her sides, and nodded at the ruins in front of them. It looked like an old mansion, overgrown with lichen and ivy. The walls were half worn down, leaving large holes. It looked a lot like the place they'd been hiding in for most of the past decade.

"One of our hide-outs," he said. "One from before our time. We're down south, by the way. Can't get much farther away from the Royal Wolves. Let's go inside, so we can get those cuffs off you."

Ryleigh nodded and allowed him to lead her inside, his hand resting on her lower back. She could feel the warmth of his palm seeping through the fabric of her thin shirt and had to keep herself from leaning into his touch. He was cocky enough without knowing she didn't mind having his hands on her.

He held the front door open for her – or at least what was left of it. She stepped inside to find most of the Shadow Walkers gathered in what was once the entrance hall.

"Alright, what just happened?" Ryleigh said. "Stabbing an alpha cannot have been part of the plan. Graham, are you crazy?"

She loved all her people to death, but sometimes she would really like to scratch Graham's eyes out, especially if he used them to look at her the way he was looking at her right then – with his eyebrows raised defiantly.

"O, I'm sorry, damsel in distress says what now?" he said.

"I am no damsel." She took a threatening step towards him.

"You do realise you're still cuffed, and that you would have gotten executed – for a second time – if we hadn't kidnapped the annoying teen and the pretty teacher?"

"Graham, shut up," Corbin said. "You shouldn't have stabbed the alpha. It was bad form. We promised no bloodshed."

"And we always keep our promises, don't we?" Ryleigh said, biting her tongue. She just couldn't help herself. Corbin looked at her a second, frowning slightly, then shook his head and approached her.

"Turn around."

She did and he grabbed her wrists, jabbing something into the lock of the cuffs. A few seconds later, one of the cuffs sprung open. She turned back around and extended him the wrist that still had a cuff wrapped around it. He masterfully picked that lock too. She didn't know where he picked up that skill, and she didn't think she really wanted to know.

"Thanks," she said, rubbing her wrists. Her skin was red and itchy, new wounds covering old scars. Paige would have to take a look at that, or she'd scratch herself open to the bone. She glanced around her. "And thank you for saving me. I appreciate it. Especially since it was the second time in as many weeks."

"I'm starting to think you just like getting arrested," Paige said, appearing from a side door. She looked Ryleigh over. "Didn't get silvered, by the looks of it."

"No. Lots of other unpleasant things happened, but not that." She rolled her shoulders and when Paige pulled her in an embrace, she found herself relaxing into her touch more than she usually would. But with everyone who had disappointed her, Paige was one of the few people Ryleigh still felt comfortable with. The only other was Parker, but Goddess forbid he should ever find out.

"What did you tell them?" Corbin asked.

Whatever muttering and whispering had lived among the group died at that question, and everyone directed their inquisitive gazes towards Ryleigh.