“Out, now!” Ryder snapped, and I stood to leave the room. “Not you, Synthia.”
I turned, staring at him through pain-filled eyes. He stood from the bed, unfolding his wings and growing taller, power emanating from him with every move he made. The men paused, eyeing Ryder, then me, before leaving the room, deciding I was on my own.
I sat on the bed, staring up at him through unshed tears. I’d wanted to protect him, and in doing so, I’d changed him into something else. I didn’t blame him for being upset. Hell, I was pissed at myself for what I’d done.
“Ryder, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Strip,” he growled, balling his fists up at his sides. “Now, because I need to be inside of you, Pet. You created a monster, and the only thing I can think of at the moment is fucking your warm sheath until I come deep within it.”
I blinked and nodded. In ways of punishment, I was pretty much on board with this one. “I’m good with that,” I stated, watching a dark, sinful smile spread across his lips.
“Keep that thought close,” he warned, observing my slow movements as I began to remove the gown he had glamoured onto me. His stare narrowed, observing everything I did with interest as I stood, letting the fabric pool at my feet. “Now, bend over and don’t fucking move.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ryder
Synthia fucked up, plain and simple. She’d made me insatiable when she combined me with the beast. I already held secrets she didn’t know about. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have secrets of her own lately either—yet she wanted trust. She’d been keeping company with gods and shit that didn’t even belong in my world. Her entire existence was flawed with her need to protect shit on her own, and that didn’t fucking work for me. Synthia was mine by right. I’d claimed her, fucking her until she didn’t want off of my dick. I’d bred her womb, filling it with our babes, and then she’d gone and died to bring them into this world.
Now she’d started keeping company with the wrong people more and more, and not doing what I needed her to be doing. Did she think I didn’t know who had walked into my home? Synthia did nothing the easy way, stubborn as fuck. She grasped on to everything, holding it close with fear that once it was gone, it could never be gotten back.
She sunk her claws in, dug her tiny heels deep, and held on with everything she was and had. I couldn’t reach her once she’d dug in, and while I’d supported her half-assed efforts to accept this world, I was done fucking around with her. The war was at our doors, and she was sulking over stupid shit.
I reached down, running my fingertips over the wet cunt that clenched in fear. Red and swollen, it dripped with arousal from the magic steadily fucking her tight sheath endlessly—and I watched her take it. I was punishing her, and she was aware that it wasn’t ending soon.
It was make-it or break-it time, and she’d rather break than reach for the world that needed her. She’d run off to her world and the guild, spending time there while I crunched numbers. I made plans and hard decisions that might win or lose this war, and then she bitched about not being included. She hadn’t even been here when I needed her. She’d fled to help rebuild the guild. I couldn’t have her helping me only to leave when I needed her at my side.
Then she went and changed what I was because she was afraid for me? I was indestructible. I wouldn’t die here, not in this war. I’d go on with her, but my family wouldn’t. I wouldn’t lose them, not after everything I have done to protect them. Not after what I did to myself to be strong enough to murder the bastard who terrorized us, and then hold the beast within me. I evolved, changing myself into the one thing Danu couldn’t sense. I buried that power so fucking deep that not even