Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS WHEN LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES.

M y heart shattered for my Tsigo. I pulled away from Rhiot, my heart pounding in my chest. Out of all the ways Ryker could find out about this... this wasn't the way I wanted.

Before Ryker could escape, Seph appeared, her small form blocking his exit. Her hazel eyes burned with determination. "Ryker, wait." Seph's voice was stern as she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Get out of my way, Seph." He tried to shove past her, but she didn't budge.

"Talk to me, please. You can't just walk away without saying anything." Her gaze never left his.

Ryker's jaw clenched, and he let out a ragged breath. "What do you want me to say, huh? It hurts like hell seeing Parker bond with someone else." His face twisted into a snarl even as his eyes became shiny, making my heart twist in my chest.

The playful glint I'd come to adore had vanished, replaced by a raw vulnerability that made me ache.

"Ryker, I..." My words fell flat, swallowed by the heavy silence that filled the room.

He shook his head, his fists clenched at his sides. "I can't believe this." His voice cracking with emotion.

"Ryker, I never meant to hurt you." I whispered, my voice trembling with regret. I didn't mean to upset him. None of us knew why the bond hadn't worked with him. Honestly, I hadn't expected to bond with Rhiot. "I don't understand what happened."

"Of course not." He replied bitterly, a single tear slipping down his cheek as his jaw clenched. "It's not your fault I'm defective."

"Enough!" Seph snapped, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're not broken, and if you don't stop saying shit like that, I'm going to hug or beat it out of you... I haven't decided which yet."

Ryker crossed his arms as he stepped away from Seph. His knuckles turned paper white as he clenched his fists.

"We're all trying to make sense of this mess we've found ourselves in. None of us asked for this." Seph's gaze softened as she looked at Ryker. "But we have each other, and that's something worth fighting for."

Ryker stared at Seph, his chest heaving with emotion. "You have each other... not me."

Seph's expression softened as she reached for him. "Ryker, you're included. We all feel the same way. We just have to figure out what's preventing the bond."

Ryker's muscles tensed, but he didn't move away from Seph. His gaze met mine, and I could see the pain in his eyes. "I know." He finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It just doesn't feel that way."

Seph clutched his shirt and pulled at him. He stepped closer to Seph, engulfing her in a hug as his body relaxed a fraction. She raised up on her toes, but he still had to hunch down to reach her with his embrace.

Ryker was tall, taller than the rest of the guys on the team. Since Seph was a head shorter than my average height, it made quite the size difference.

"Just forget about me, Parker." Ryker choked out between sobs. The agony in his voice tore at me, making my own eyes well up with tears.

"Ryker, you don't have to go through this alone." Seph's hand gripped the back of Ryker's neck as she murmured into his ear. Her fingers sank into his hair, tugging him closer. His grip tightened on her as his shoulders trembled. He shook his head, and Seph held him tighter. "We're here for you. We care about you."

A sob shook his shoulders as he dropped to his knees. Seph clutched at him, trying to keep him in her embrace.

It was no use. Ryker didn't seem to have the strength to hold himself up. Seph held him against her body as she squatted down with him. Then she guided them over to the wall where she leaned against it while taking on Ryker's weight. He curled up on himself as Seph settled him on the floor between her knees.

"They did this... I know it." Ryker growled into Seph's shoulder. "It's their fault."

Seph stroked his back and shoulders as she leaned her cheek against his. "I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry."

"Everything's just messed up," Ryker cried, his voice muffled by Seph's body. "I'm not strong enough to handle all of this. They... they broke me." His confession sent shivers down my spine.

"Strength isn't about never breaking, Ryker." Seph's voice held steady and reassuring. "It's about picking up the pieces and putting yourself back together. And we'll be right here to help you do that. That's what families do."

"I love her, Seph." He admitted quietly, his shaking starting to ease. "And I'll never bond with her... Instead, I'll have to watch her claim everyone else but me."

"Ryker, that's not true." I protested, unable to hold back any longer. "I refuse to let the Hesolga take you. We'll find a way."

"Broken or not, you're still one of the strongest people I know." Seph added, squeezing his shoulder. "You've survived so much, and you still manage to keep that playful spirit of yours. This is one dark night among many brighter ones."

"Please don't push us away," I pleaded, my voice barely more than a whisper. "We want to help you heal... help you through whatever is going on."

"Let it out, Ryker." Seph murmured against his ear, her voice soothing even as her own emotions threatened to break through her level voice. They swirled around inside of her, a vortex of chaos that I felt through our mating bond. "We're here for you. You don't have to carry this burden alone anymore."

Ryker let out a shuddering breath, a choked sob escaping from his lips as he allowed himself to finally release the torrent of pain and despair that had been festering inside him. The sound was gut-wrenching, causing my own throat to constrict in empathy.

Rhiot rubbed my back. I appreciated that he felt my emotions through our bond and tried to silently comfort me.

Seph's eyes met mine over Ryker's shoulder, a silent invitation. She tilted her head slightly, signaling for me to join them in their embrace.

I hesitated for only a moment, feeling the weight of his misery pressing down on me like a heavy, smothering blanket. Would I cause more harm than good by offering Ryker my comfort? But as I looked at him, so broken and vulnerable, my fear dissipated, replaced by an unyielding determination to comfort him.

"Ryker, you're my Tsigo. Nothing and no one can stop me from claiming you." I whispered as I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around him and Seph, the warmth of their bodies seeping into me as we clung to one another. "I'm so sorry this is hurting you."

"We're in this together, no matter what hurdles we have to face." Seph whispered into Ryker's ear.

"Your strength is astounding." I murmured against his back, my fingers sliding over his muscles, tense with agony. "And we will face whatever darkness lies ahead, side by side."

Ryker relaxed, his body molding to both Seph and I. His breathing calmed as the reverberation of his emotions slowed down from Seph. "I'm sorry, but thank you."

But before I could respond, an ear-piercing alarm tore through the air, shattering our brief moment of peace. All four of us instantly shifted into business mode, on alert and trying to figure out what was happening now. The deafening wail of the alarm left no room for levity.

"What the fuck now?" Rhiot shouted as he scooped his clothes off the floor and pulled them on. Then he tossed mine to me and I dressed while waiting to see what would happen next.

"Can't we go one damn day without something happening?" Seph growled. "Ryker, can figure out what set off the alarm."

Ryker pulled a small tablet out of his pants pocket. It didn't look much larger than a smartphone.

"Stay close." Rhiot moved to my side, gripping my arm tightly. "We don't know what we're up against."

"I've learned my lesson. Nothing good happens when left to my own devices." I muttered in an annoyed tone.

The alarm continued its relentless assault, sending shivers down my spine with every pulse. My chest constricted with each breath, the cold sweat on my forehead was chilling as I waited to find out what was happening.

"Ryker, any luck?" Seph called over the noise, her voice rather steady despite the unnerving alarm piercing through the room.

"Working on it!" he shouted back, his fingers flying over the tablet's screen as he sought answers.

My mind raced with possibilities... Was this some new threat, an unforeseen enemy, or something far worse than anything we'd ever faced before? As the alarm continued to blare, I couldn't help but feel that time was running out. We needed to act fast, and we needed to stick together. Whatever was coming for us, we would face it head-on, united as one.

Seph gasped as her eyes widened. Rhiot muttered under his breath as Ryker's fingers froze mid keystroke.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Seph shook her head as she pointed to Ryker. "We have to get her out of here. You have to open up the barrier."

"What's going on?"

Rhiot grabbed my arm. "We have to go."

"No, I want to know what's happening." I tried to break his hold, but it didn't budge. All three of them didn't respond, as each of them seemed to go into business mode. "Ryker, what's happening?" I demanded, my voice cracking with fear as he tapped furiously on his tablet.

Ryker's fingers danced across the screen, his eyes flicking between the rapidly changing data and our faces, his usual playfulness gone. "Give me a second," he replied, tension building in the air.

Seph crossed her arms as she intensely watched Ryker. "Trux is too far away to get to us. Same for Grayson and Kearan. We have to get Parker out of here on our own."

"Guys..." Ryker's voice trailed off as he looked up from the tablet, his face pale. "This is bad."

"Tell me!" I snapped, my nerves frayed by the lack of communication. A wave of unease flooded through me as a thought formed in my mind. It felt foreign but unthreatening... almost as if it belonged to one of my mates.

Trux. His pushy alpha energy was easily recognizable.

But there was something else.

Seph. Her calm reason swirled around the feeling I had from Trux and someone else.

Rhiot? The more I focused on it, the more I recognized his playful energy that comforted me.

How was I feeling all three of them like this? It was more than just emotions. Like blurry thoughts that were on the tip of my tongue that I couldn't quite grasp.

Then the thought clarified into a single word. Fire.