Free Web NovelChapter 180: Chapter 180
Riley’s POV
It had been hours.
I didn’t even know how many anymore because there was no clock in the room and no window either, so I couldn’t tell if it was still night or if morning had already come and gone.
Everything just felt slow and stuck, like time had decided to stop moving just to mess with me.
Cane was still lying on the bed.
He hadn’t moved.
Not even once.
At first, I kept checking on him every few minutes because I thought maybe he would wake up suddenly or say something or at least react, but nothing happened. He just stayed there, breathing slowly, like he was somewhere far away that I couldn’t reach.
I sat on the floor beside the bed with my back resting against it, my legs stretched out in front of me, and my arms wrapped around myself like that would somehow make things feel better.
It didn’t.
Nothing felt better.
Because the more time passed, the more my mind kept going back to one person.
Anna.
I swallowed hard, staring at the empty space in front of me.
I didn’t even know if she was alive.
That was the worst part.
Not knowing anything.
Not knowing where she was.
Not knowing who had her.
Not knowing if she was hurt or... I stopped myself before I could finish that thought.
I pushed my fingers into my hair and exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself down, but it wasn’t working.
I was already dealing with too much. Way too much.
Everything that had happened, everything I had found out, everything I was still trying to understand, it was already enough to mess with my head, and now this was added on top of it.
"I don’t need this," I muttered under my breath. "I really don’t need this right now."
But that didn’t change anything.
Anna was still out there.
And I was stuck here.
I turned my head slightly and looked at Cane again.
He looked the same.
No change.
No sign that he was waking up anytime soon.
Gunnar had brought him in earlier inside this room, placed him carefully on the bed, and then left without saying much. I didn’t even get the chance to ask him anything properly because he just walked out like he had somewhere important to be.
I really hoped he had gone to look for Anna.
I didn’t know why, but I wanted to believe that he had.
Because if he didn’t, then— I shook my head.
I looked around the room again, scanning everything for what felt like the hundredth time.
I was stuck. And I hated it.
I pushed myself up from the floor and started pacing slowly, my bare feet moving quietly against the ground as I tried to think of something, anything that could help me get out of here.
There had to be a way.
There was always a way.
I just needed to figure it out.
I stopped when I heard a soft knock on the door. freewebnøvel.coɱ
My body tensed immediately.
I turned toward it slowly, my eyes fixed on the handle as it moved as the door opened.
And someone stepped in.
It was Summer.
She didn’t move right away.
She just stood there near the door, holding onto it slightly like she wasn’t sure if she should come in or leave. freēwebnovel.com
I watched her carefully.
She looked nervous. Actually, more than nervous.
She looked scared.
Her small hands were fidgeting, and her eyes kept shifting between me and the floor like she didn’t know where to look.
It was obvious she thought I might yell at her.
Or ask her away.
Or worse.
And honestly... I probably should.
After everything that happened earlier, I had every reason to be angry at her.
But for some reason, I wasn’t.
At least, not in the way I expected.
"You’re not going to keep standing there forever, are you?" I asked her.
My voice came out calmer than I thought it would.
She didn’t answer immediately.
She just stood there for a few seconds, then slowly closed the door behind her and started walking toward me.
Her steps were small and careful, like she was trying not to make any sudden movements.
When she got closer, she stopped again, leaving some space between us like she was scared of getting too close.
It was kind of strange.nShe was just a kid.
And yet she was acting like I was the dangerous one.
The silence between us stretched for a bit.
It felt awkward.
Neither of us knew what to say.
But then she spoke.
"I’m sorry for what happened earlier," she said softly.
I blinked, a little surprised.
I didn’t expect that.
I looked at her for a moment and then I found myself smiling a little.
I raised my hand slightly and motioned for her to come closer.
She hesitated again.
But after a few seconds, she took a small step forward. Then another until she was close enough.
I reached out and gently took her hands in mine.
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and unsure.
"It wasn’t your fault," I told her.
I made sure my voice stayed soft and clear so she could understand me properly.
"You were being manipulated by a Satyre," I continued. "You didn’t know what you were doing."
She shook her head immediately.
"No," she said in her small voice.
I frowned slightly."What do you mean no?"
She looked down at our hands for a second before looking back up at me.
"I’m an Alpha," she said quietly. "I could have resisted."
I didn’t say anything.
"I didn’t," she added. "Because I was desperate to see my mommy."
Her words were simple. Honest.
I felt something shift inside me, but I didn’t let it show too much.
Instead, I gave her a small smile.
"It’s okay," I said. "You’re still a kid. You don’t have to be perfect."
She didn’t respond to that.
She just kept looking at me.
And then something clicked in my head.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"Wait," I said.
She blinked.
"How did you know about me?"
She tilted her head a little, confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean," I said, trying to make it clearer, "how do you know that your mom is my sister?"
I watched her closely.
"Did Gunnar tell you?" I added.
Because honestly, I couldn’t imagine him sitting down and explaining something like that to a child.
She shook her head."No," she said.
I frowned."Then how do you know?"
She looked at me like the answer was obvious.
"Mommy told me," she said.
That made me pause."What?"
"She always comes to see me," Summer continued. "Not all the time, but sometimes."
I stared at her.
I didn’t know what to say at first.
"You’re saying... you see her?" I asked slowly.
She nodded."Yeah."
My mind started racing. That didn’t make sense.
At this point, I wasn’t even sure what was normal anymore.
"Can I see her too?" I asked before I could stop myself.
Summer’s face lit up a little.
"Yeah," she said quickly. "You can."
I leaned forward slightly."How?"
She smiled a little more now.
"It’s actually better if you see her," she said. "Mommy wants to meet you."
That caught my attention immediately.
"She does?"
Summer nodded.
"She wants to come back so bad," she added.
I froze."What?"
"She doesn’t want to stay where she is," Summer continued. "She still loves Daddy, and she doesn’t want to accept that she’s gone."
My stomach twisted.
I swallowed.
"How did she die?" I asked quietly.
Summer went silent. Her expression changed.
The small smile on her face disappeared, and she looked down at the floor again.
For a moment, I thought she wasn’t going to answer.
Then she spoke."She killed herself," she said softly.
My heart dropped.
I didn’t say anything.
But then she looked back up at me.
"But she’s not fully dead," she added.
I blinked."What do you mean?"
"She’s trapped somewhere," Summer said.
I stared at her, trying to understand.
"Trapped where?" I asked.
She didn’t answer that directly. Instead, she gently pulled one of her hands free from mine and took a small step closer to me.
"Close your eyes," she said.
I hesitated.
Something about this felt strange.
Not dangerous exactly, but not normal either.
Still...
I wanted answers.
And if this was the only way to get them, then I had to try.
I looked at her one more time.
She nodded encouragingly."I’ll show you,"
I took a slow breath then I closed my eyes. And everything went quiet...
