Chapter 272

Chapter 272

CASSANDRA

The moment I’d noticed Rayden, it seemed like the guards had done the same. As the tall, dark-haired man from Wild Crawler approached me with long strides, I noticed the guards all tense up in unison.

I began to panic. What was about to happen? And what was Rayden doing here in Vlokwell?

Before Rayden was about to greet me, one of the guards stopped him from getting any closer to me. I flashed Rayden a firm expression and silently let him know that it wasn’t wise to show that he knew me.

I half-expected confusion, but Rayden understood immediately. Instead of acting like he was coming to speak with me, he turned his attention to the guards and wore an expression of confusion.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized to them with a convincing frown on his tanned face. “I think I’m lost. I had been led to my room by a nice maid before, but I came out here to tell my serv ants that they needed to be careful with our boxes. I know it might sound silly, but when I decided to go back to my chamber, I found myself lost in the crowd. There are so many people here and this is my first time at Vlokwell, after all.”

One of the guards, an older one with gray hair, looked suspicious of Rayden’s

story.

“Where are you staying?” he demanded. “What room and building?”

Rayden answered him quickly, and then the guard’s expression softened, as if he believed him.

“It’s that way,” he said gruffly, and then he pointed beyond us.

Rayden nodded and then gave him a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much for your help, sir. It’s greatly appreciated.”

He left hastily, and as I dedicated the room number he’d provided to memory, I realized that he was staying in the same building Asher and I were in. His room number indicated that he was on the same floor as Asher and I forced myself to keep a straight face even though I wanted to squeal with happiness.

What a lucky coincidence!

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I couldn’t believe how this all had worked out. I hadn’t expected to see my old friend Rayden here in Yurene and now that he was here, perhaps my plan could work out after all.

As it started to rain, I informed the guards that I was going inside, and after they nodded, I decided to visit Rayden immediately. We had much to discuss and I couldn’t wait a moment longer.

Once I got inside the building, I climbed up the stairs and went directly to the fourth floor. Since it was Ronald and Helene’s wedding day, there were no maids or serv ants in the entire side building, and because all of the guests were in Ronald’s tower residence, there were no guests in the corridor either. It was completely empty, which meant I could relax, at least just a little.

I hastened my pace but kept myself calm. I didn’t want to overwhelm Rayden straight away, but I knew there was a strong chance of it anyway.

I stopped in front of the door with the number Rayden had told the guards and then knocked on the door. After the first knock, the door opened, and Rayden’s broad, white-toothed smile greeted me warmly.

There was another young man I didn’t recognize with him in the room, but he looked much more shy than my old friend.

“Is it alright if we have the room for a moment?” Rayden asked him kindly. “This is my old friend, Melissa, from a Pack on the other side of the country. We haven’t spoken in quite some time and I’d like to catch up.”

Much to my relief and surprise, his companion didn’t question his excuse at all.

“Nice to meet you, Melissa,” he said simply and then he left the room. Once he was gone, Rayden closed the door behind him and then stared at me in disbelief. His eyes trailed over me nervously, and he tugged at his long bluish-black hair.

“Hello, Cassandra,” he greeted me. “Please, come sit.”

I smiled back at him, and once I took a seat, he got to work and made me some tea. The room was silent for a while, and once it was done, he sat down at the small table with me and fidgeted with his sleeves.

“Why are you here, Rayden?” I asked him after a moment. I realized it was blunt, but I couldn’t think of another way to ask him how he was here in Yurene.

“I heard you were about to marry the Northern king,” he explained. “I thought you must have been forced into it, so I came here to help you escape.”

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A small chuckle escaped my l*ps. It seemed that everyone had heard the news of my engagement. Rayden seemed confused by my reaction, so I explained what was happening.

“I accepted the king’s proposal, but it’s not what you think,” I assured him vaguely. “That being said, I do need your help with something, Rayden.”

He nodded happily at my statement, as if he were thrilled by the concept. He started to ask me how I was doing and if I was alright, but before he could get too much further, I held up my hand to stop him.

“I’m sorry, Rayden, but I can’t talk for much longer,” I said politely. “I’m unharmed, I promise. But I’ve found out some of Kaleb’s plan.”

When I told him about the idea of a human b*dy weapon, Rayden appeared excited and then angry. When I questioned his reaction, he told me about the “living dead” and the progress of Becky’s research.

As he told me all about it, I saw there in shock. Though I had suspected the living dead might be a reality and not just a joke Kaleb had made, I was still taken aback by it all. But at the same time, I was happy to hear that Becky had made great progress toward an antidote.

Rayden told me that the antidote Becky had invented had indeed passed the

necessary tests.

“Now that there’s a cure, everything can get back to normal,” he explained, his tone seeping with happiness as he smiled at me. “Everyone is going to be so thrilled to see you back, Cassandra.”

I didn’t want to ruin his mood, so I simply asked how he got here to Yurene. As far as I knew Wild Cralwer hadn’t been invited to the wedding, so how had he gotten North?

Rayden told me he hadn’t been invited, but had instead asked for help from his father’s best friend, the Alpha of the Red Stone, an autonomous Pack that bordered Wild Crawler.

I nodded my head as I considered his words. “How many came with you?”

“More than twenty,” he explained. “If including the Alpha’s se vants.”

I nodded, “Would the Alpha of Red Stone help?”

“He’s been like my uncle for my entire life,” Rayden explained. “I can ensure he’ll

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help. Besides, it shouldn’t be difficult to get you and Finnick out of here.”

I shook my head and leaned forward in my seat. “It’s more complicated than that, Rayden. It isn’t just me here, Rayden. Our king is here too. The Alpha King.”

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