the air. I wrapped my legs around him, devouring his mouth with my own, claiming him as if it were the first time.
And maybe it was.
I’d been living in this world of uncertainty.
Unsure of what happened next.
When all along I just needed to take it.
Our blood mingled in our mouths, his palms roaming over my body in a dark obsession, his arousal prominent between my thighs.
But this wasn’t about sex.
It was about a vow, about fulfilling our destiny together.
“Don’t you ever deny me again,” I told him, panting against his mouth.
“She has Damien,” he replied, his voice breaking. “She made me listen to his screams until there was silence.”
I cupped the sides of his face, noting the emotions shattering through his gaze. “Oh, Ryder,” I whispered, realizing what had set him off. He’d shut down because it was too much for him to accept, the pain of his progeny’s agony ripping him apart.
I saw it then, the hopelessness of the male battling the rage of his inner beast.
He’d closed himself off to avoid processing it all.
But that wasn’t the solution. Actually, after everything he’d told me the last few weeks, I suspected that was exactly what Lilith had wanted.
“Don’t let her into your head,” I said. “You’re not like them, Ryder. And that’s your biggest strength. At least to me.”
His dark irises roamed over my features as though searching for the truth. I opened myself to him, allowing him to explore me without any barriers. Because there were none between us. He’d possessed me from the very beginning. He owned me. I still wore the collar around my neck to prove it.
He kissed me again, this time gentler, his mouth saying words only my heart could hear.
And then I felt his resolve snapping into place.
My Ryder never did what anyone expected. But for the first time, I had an inkling of what was to come. Only because I’d learned to anticipate his unprecedented reactions.
“Thank you,” he whispered before slowly returning me to my feet. “Let’s go.”
This time I felt the warmth in his hand as he laced our fingers together, just as I noted the assuredness in his stance. He retrieved his bag once more and nodded, some sort of decision made.
Whatever it was, I hoped it involved blood. Because I was thirsty for it.
32
Ryder
Lilith had given me an ultimatum.
“Return to your reclusive property willingly, and I’ll let you take Damien with you. Or you can try to fight for your royal position, in which case…”
That was when the screaming had started.
I never wanted to hear that sound from his mouth ever again.
He was in pain because of me. Because I’d asked him to help me bait Lilith, then I’d left him here to handle all my duties alone while I’d played with Willow.
Everything inside me had shut down in response, my guilt evoking emotions I’d thought were long dead.
Then Lilith had delivered her parting words. “And, Ryder? I know all about your little hybrid. Kill her as a sign of good faith, and I’ll allow you entry into the building to retrieve your progeny.”
She wanted me to choose between Damien and Willow.
She wanted me to choose between returning to my solitude and doing what was right.
Well, I refused both choices.
I’d decided on a third option.
One she wasn’t going to like.
Willow had pulled me back from a decision I didn’t know how to make. I’d turned off my emotions, preparing to offer myself in exchange for Damien’s life, and she’d forced me to see the crucial flaw in my reasoning.
It’d all happened so quickly, my mind shutting down at the bizarre sense of failure overwhelming me.
I never lost.
I always won.
And for the first time in my very long existence, I felt as though I’d been defeated.
Then the little warrior beside me slapped common sense into me, reminding me that we were in the middle of a battle, not at the end of it. I couldn’t give up before the game had been called.
Lilith had played me well, her continued mastery in this match impressive. She’d pitted us all against each other at some point, placing her pawns around the board in exactly the locations she desired.
Only, I’d brought her here through some plays of my own.
I’d removed the queen from the sanctity of her kingdom and brought her to my playground for a reason.
She might have arrived early and thrown me off-kilter with her underhanded moves, but I still had a few plays left in me.