Three Alpha Bikers Wants An Open Marriage

CANE~

I pace the room back and forth, my boots hitting the hardwood floor with every step. The space feels too small for all this tension.

Caden leans against the wall behind me, arms crossed, watching me like he’s waiting for me to snap. Our mother Amelia sits in the chair by the window, her face tight with worry. And then there’s little Summer, curled up on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest. She looks so small and lost it twists something deep in my gut.

Amelia breaks the silence first. "The Satyre really said that?" Her voice comes out sharp. "Then what happens to Gunnar? We don’t even know where he is. Riley just made his body disappear during the burial. Does she mean he’s alive somewhere but in a different world or something? That sounds crazy."

"Or true," Caden finishes. He pushes off the wall and stands straighter, his shoulders tense. "We saw what Riley did. That silver fire. The way everything went white. You can’t fake power like that."

I stop pacing and rub a hand over my face. My brother’s right. I saw it all happen. One minute Gunnar’s body lay there on the platform, and the next the light took him. Riley collapsed right after, unconscious and burning with that same silver energy. We carried her back here while the pack whispered and stared. Now she lies in the next room, still out cold, with healers checking on her every few minutes.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with that?" I ask, my voice rough. I look at Amelia. "Riley offered her soul to bring him back. She basically told the universe to take everything from her if it meant Gunnar gets another shot. And now she’s out, and he’s gone. No body. No trace. Just... nothing."

Amelia nods slowly. She stands up and walks over to Summer, resting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. "It sounded like she crossed over. Like her soul went somewhere else to find him. I’ve heard old stories about soul crossings, but I never thought I’d see one."

Summer looks up at her grandma, her eyes red from crying earlier but now sharp with that fire she gets from Gunnar. "So Dad’s not dead? He’s just... somewhere else? With a new face or whatever that lady said?"

I move closer to the bed and crouch down so I’m eye level with her. "That’s what it sounded like, kid. Riley made a deal. A big one. She’s fighting for him in a way none of us saw coming."

Caden runs a hand through his hair and starts pacing the same path I just wore out. "Riley’s body is here, but her soul crossed. Gunnar’s body vanished completely. We checked the burial grounds three times. Nothing. It’s like the ground opened up and took him. The pack is losing it out there. Half of them think Riley killed him for good. The other half think she’s some kind of goddess now."

I snort. "She’s not a goddess. She’s Riley. Stubborn as hell, protective and apparently willing to burn her own future to get Gunnar back. That woman doesn’t do anything halfway."

Summer wipes her nose with her sleeve and sits up straighter. "Aunt Riley is tough. She yelled at the sky and everything. If she says Dad gets to live, then he does. But I want both of them back. Not just one."

Her words hit me hard. I reach out and ruffle her hair lightly. "We’re working on it, Summer. None of us are sitting around doing nothing."

Amelia crosses her arms, her expression all business. "The healers say Riley’s body is stable. Her heart’s beating. She’s breathing. But she’s not waking up. It’s like she’s sleeping in this world while her soul does the real work somewhere else. We need to figure out how to help her. Or help Gunnar. Or both."

Caden stops pacing and leans on the edge of the dresser. "That damned veiled Satyre woman said this has happened before. Same souls, same mistakes, same ending. But this time the players are different. That means we might actually have a shot at changing it."

I stand up and start pacing again. The movement helps me think. "Riley’s unconscious because she pushed everything she had into that ritual. Gunnar’s body disappeared because the deal went through. Now we’re stuck here waiting while they’re out there somewhere, probably running into each other as strangers. That’s messed up."

Summer swings her legs off the bed, her small face serious but with a spark of her usual attitude. "Strangers? Like Dad won’t even know it’s Riley? That’s stupid. He always finds her. He’s annoying like that."

A small laugh escapes me despite everything. "Yeah, he is. Gunnar never could stay away from her. Even if she wanted to kill him for real."

Caden’s mouth twitches into a half smile.

Amelia shakes her head, but I catch the faint smile on her lips too. "That boy always had more charm than sense. But it worked on Riley eventually. She loves hard, just like he does."

The room feels a little lighter for a second with the memories, but the weight crashes back fast. I glance toward the door that leads to where Riley lies. "She’s fighting for him right now and we can’t just sit here."

Caden meets my eyes. His face is set in that determined way I know too well. "The only way all this stops is if we die too. We go into that world where Riley’s soul is. We find her. We find Gunnar. We break the cycle before it repeats again."

I nod slowly. The words feel right even though they’re heavy as hell. "He’s right, Mom. If Riley crossed over, we follow. We become whoever we need to be in that place. We find them before history catches up. We change the ending."

Amelia’s eyes widen. "You can’t be serious. Both of you?"

Summer jumps off the bed, her voice rising. "No! I lost my dad. I’m not losing my uncles too!" She runs over and grabs my hand first, then reaches for Caden. Her grip is surprisingly strong for such a little girl. "You can’t go. What if you forget me? What if you don’t come back? I’ll be all alone. Grandma can’t be the only one left."

Her words cut deep. I kneel down again and pull her into a hug. She buries her face in my shoulder, her small body shaking. "Summer, listen to me."

"No!" She pulls back, eyes flashing with fire. "You always say you’ll fix things. Fix this without dying! Dad would be mad if you left me too. He’d say you’re both idiots for even thinking about it."

Caden crouches beside me and takes her other hand. "Summer, we’re not trying to leave you. We’re trying to bring your dad and Riley home. All of us. Together."

Summer shakes her head, tears starting to spill again. "Then find another way. Don’t go. Please. I can’t lose you guys too."

The room goes quiet except for Summer’s sniffles. I look at Caden over her head. His jaw is tight, eyes locked on mine. We both know what we have to do. But telling Summer that right now feels impossible.

Before either of us can say another word, a loud crash echoes from the room where Riley lies unconscious. Healers shout in alarm. Power surges through the air again and Summer’s eyes go wide with fear.

I stand up fast, heart pounding—

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