by Morgan Fox
Ryder arched a brow. “We were twelve,” he pointed out.
Bianca nodded. “Yes, but fate doesn’t seem to care about age.” She shrugged. “I guess some dreams aren’t meant to come true.”
Chapter 5
Ryder stared at Bianca, the weariness of so much on his mind. His heart ached. For so long, he desired to find the woman who would ease the pain from within him, drown out the loneliness. As he gazed into the eyes of his childhood best friend, he realized that the fates had always meant for her to be his, and that was why no one else could fill the void. His heart had been lost before he ever figured it out. Bianca was his chosen mate, and he was destined to be with her.
How will I ever convince Sebastian and the others that she is loyal to me and not Lilly?
Bianca caressed the side of his face, bringing him out of his thoughts. She’d told him she had loved him once, and feeling the warmth of her touch seep into his flesh, he wondered if she could ever love him again. Now that he found her, he would never be able to let her go.
“Sebastian will want my head,” she muttered, her eyes glistening with unspent tears. Hopelessness swam within the golden depths.
He stroked her cheek with the backs of his knuckles, still stunned by the direction his life had taken. “Let me worry about that.”
He kissed her tenderly and reached behind her to open the door to her cabin. He wrapped his other arm around her waist. With her facing him, he stepped inside and closed the door at his back. In many ways, he feared releasing her. He didn’t want to risk that this moment was somehow unreal. As long as she remained anchored within his arms, he felt he could capture the moment forever.
Ryder wasn’t normally so needy, so possessive. He was in control of everything around him. But with Bianca, nothing had ever been what it seemed. From the start, they’d had so many obstacles to overcome, some obstacles he hadn’t even known they’d faced.
“How did you survive for so long on your own?” he asked.
Bianca’s eyes filled with sadness. “For the most part, I hid here. This has been my home away from home.”
A sharp sting squeezed in his chest. He couldn’t imagine being abandoned by everyone he’d ever known, loved. “I’m sorry, Bianca. I’m sorry you had to endure all this.”
Her eyes widened with what he thought might be a flicker of hope. She shivered, and he immediately pulled her close, warming her with his body. “You believe me, then?”
Swallowing back the emotions that had caused so much conflict, he nodded. “I think I believed you from the moment you had me chained to that damn tree.”
She giggled, but it wasn’t the joyful laugh he hoped one day they could share. “I’m sorry about that, by the way.”
A horrible image raced to the front of his thoughts. In his mind, he’d struck her with an opened palm across the face. His temper would’ve kept him from hearing her explanation as to why she lied to him about her death. An instant betrayal would’ve been all he saw as he stared at her. He knew this because as he lay chained to that tree that was exactly what he’d been thinking.
“I’m not. You were right to chain me. I’m afraid the outcome might’ve been very different if you hadn’t.” He shuddered as he thought about the anger he felt in the beginning. His guardian powers had heightened his strength and made his mind a little wonky. Not to mention, the weird connection he shared with Tiffany. “You did well, Bianca. I’m just sorry I couldn’t have helped you sooner.”
She lowered her gaze. “Are you sure you want this, Ryder? Your world will never be the same if you claim me as your mate. Nothing will be easy for you once you do. Our people, Sebastian’s, no one will understand. They all think I’m the enemy, too.”
He placed his finger under her chin and raised her gaze to meet his once more. “I’m sure.” A soft smile played at his lips. “I think you should know that I had a major crush on you as a teenager. I wanted to see you naked so badly.” He trailed his fingertips along her collarbone, delving between her breasts. “You were the cause of so many wet dreams.”
She smiled, nibbling her bottom lip. “I fantasized about you.”
Ryder’s eyebrows rose up, a soft grin tugging the corner of his mouth. “You did?”
She nodded, regret seeping back into her wandering gaze. “Over the years, I tried several times to see you…but I was afraid of what would happen if I did.”
“Who has been watching me?”
Her eyes locked onto his as she said, “Bryce Sullivan, for one.”
Ryder’s mouth hung open, shocked by her revelation. Bryce had been with him when he saved Dominic from Lilly at the clinic. He also tagged along to Reyes’s house. “But Bryce and I go way back. Why would he—”
“The same reason our people banished me,” Bianca said before he could finish his thought. “You are very special to our people, Ryder. They have plans for you. You are the one to lead us. I fear the council is molding you to assume their beliefs before you have a chance to formulate your own.”
Ryder’s jaw clenched tight as he thought back on all the times Bryce had asked to tag along with him. He never would’ve suspected that he was a spy for his own council.
“I wish none of this had happened.” Her gaze darted from his eyes to his mouth and back again. “I wish I just had a chance to care for you like I always wanted.”
Ryder swallowed, licking his lips to moisten them. He wasn’t sure what to think about his people and the council he had always trusted. What he was ready to do was forget everything around him for a short while and escape with Bianca before they had to face the world outside the cabin.
He cupped her face, his fingers weaving through her dark hair. Suddenly, everything about Bianca was clear to him. Staring into her golden eyes, he knew what he needed more than anything. He needed her.
“It’s not too late, you know,” he whispered, inches from her face.
“For what?” she asked.
“For you to care for me,” he said softly.
Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers, feeling the timid feel of her tender lips against his. He couldn’t seem to make himself dive in and ravage her mouth. He wanted to feel her as the soft, vulnerable woman who’d been hiding in the mountains, waiting for his brutal assault. She deserved a touch that wasn’t threatening or violent. He couldn’t explain why he felt that way, but his mate had been through emotional hell, as had he. Together they would find a piece of paradise that no one could destroy, a moment that was completely theirs and theirs alone.
Bianca pulled away, her eyes squeezed shut. “Oh, God,” she cried. “Is this real? Are you kissing me? Really kissing me?”
“Shhh, baby,” he muttered against her ear. “It’s okay. No more tears. No more pain. I’m here. I’m really here.”
She sobbed, her cheeks streaked with tears. Her beautiful breasts rose and fell with her panting breaths. He traced his finger up her arm and then down to her breast, cupping it in his hand. She gasped as he stroked her nipple with his thumb. His other hand grasped the back of her neck, and the action had her eyes opening wide.
“Mine,” he said adamantly. He nipped at her lips as his hand reached around to cup her buttocks, pulling her hard up against him. “All mine.”
Instantly, her arms went around his neck and her mouth sought out his. Between fevered kisses, she mumbled, “Yes, all yours.”
He reached between their pressed bodies and cupped her pussy, slipping a finger past the slick folds. Her breath fluttered against his lips as he stroked her clit, smearing the dampness of her desire. Gently, he pressed a finger inside her, hungrily taking her mouth as he plunged deep.
Holding her this way drove him mad with lust. His needs were becoming primal, raw. His tongue dove into her mouth, thoroughly tasting her.
Trembling, he lifted her from the floor and brought her legs up around his waist. Turning, he pressed her back against the door. In that second, he lifted her so that her knees were resting at his bent elbows,
supporting her weight in a manner that placed her pussy directly in the path of his mouth, his very greedy mouth.
She hissed as he nipped at her inner thigh, and her legs spread wider in response. Like a starved man, he dipped his head lower, feasting on her. He slid his tongue over her swollen clit, exhaustively tasting her. He sucked her into his mouth, and as he applied more suction, she writhed more and more within his arms. Her fingers weaved through his hair, her panting moans growing louder and louder.
The wetness of her pussy flooded his mouth as she cried out. Her release rocked her as if a jolt of electricity was charging through her body. Even after hearing her cries of fatigue, he continued to lick, sucking and tasting her with a hunger he’d never known before. He couldn’t get enough of her wild flavor.
She gripped his hair, yanking his head back, forcing his eyes to meet hers. As he stared up at her wide, lust-filled eyes, he couldn’t mask the grin that played at his lips. Her breasts so beautifully displayed in front of his face, rising and falling with her breaths. The hardened peaks were begging to be teased and tormented.
“So fucking beautiful,” he said with a growl low in his throat.
Never in his life had he seen anything that invoked such a longing inside him. All he could think about was Bianca and how he needed her, all of her.
He repositioned her legs so that they wrapped around his waist. Pressing her back firmly against the door, he brought one nipple to his mouth and nipped at the tender bead, sucking and teasing it until he heard her breathing become erratic once more. With his other hand, he plucked at the nipple of her other breast, and soon she was squirming, rubbing her slick heat against his pelvis. His cock jumped, eager to be buried deep inside her tight sheath.
Wrapping his arms around her, he gripped her buttocks, teasing her anus and pussy with his fingers as he carried her over to the fur rug in front of the unlit fireplace. He lowered her so that she was kneeling in front of him. She wrapped her hand around his shaft, the tight squeeze of her fist ripping the air from his lungs. She licked the head of his cock and then nipped, gently biting the crown. He groaned as her sweet mouth surrounded him, her hand working the base of his dick as she took him to the back of her throat.
He flipped her raven hair over her shoulder. There was something so damn sexy about the way her lips wrapped around him, and her tongue danced along the length. He had to watch every second. The sound of her satisfying moans turned him on more than he ever dreamed possible. His cock pulsed, not only from the motions of her sucking him deep, but of the fantasy displayed before him. His balls tightened, and as much as he would’ve loved for her to slurp every ounce of pleasure from his body, he wanted to be buried inside her more.
He cupped her face in his hands and eased her off of him. He held her lusty gaze. “Hands and knees,” he demanded.
Grinning, she turned around, arching her back like the sweet pussycat she was. He ran his fingers along the curve of her spine, dipping his fingers down the crease of her buttocks. He playfully stroked her anus and pussy. Her body damp with her release, he plunged his index and middle finger inside her pussy, while the thumb on his other hand pressed inside the tight grip of her anus.
“Oh, God,” she cried, pushing back against his hand.
“That’s it baby,” he encouraged, his cock growing harder with thoughts of fucking her tight asshole. “Do you like the way that feels?”
She pushed back again, riding his fingers. “Yes,” she breathed.
So fucking hot…
Suddenly, his teeth lengthened and his body roared with the needs of his panther and wolf. Her body was primed and ready to receive him. He could no longer deny the needs of his beasts. He pulled his fingers from her body, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her up against him, her back pressed against his chest. He cupped her breasts, plucking at her erect nipples.
She inclined her head, exposing the tender flesh of her neck. She was yielding to him, begging him to claim her. With cock in hand, he pressed her forward so that she was resting on the palms of her hands and knees.
He slammed inside her, drilling as deep as his shaft could go. Wildly, he possessed her, his hips thrusting hard and fast. He couldn’t control the lust that clouded his mind, the instincts that called to him.
She moaned, crying out as her body received him. His teeth bit into his bottom lip, ready to claim the woman that would be his. Forever.
Arching forward, he bit into the soft flesh of her neck and shoulder. She screamed out in pleasure, her pussy clamping tightly around his cock. He licked the area of his mark, still pounding against the soft swell of her ass.
“Ryder,” she breathed.
The sound of his name on her lips had him drilling harder. He would leave her remembering this day for the rest of their lives. This was the moment he’d waited for. The claiming of his mate had instinctively churned in his gut. There was no better feeling in the world.
His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips as he felt the pressure building in his balls. Gritting his teeth, his semen filled her pussy. Mine! His muscles tensed as he rode the waves of his release.
Breathless, Ryder hovered over her, his palms resting on the ground beside hers. He covered her like a blanket, his chest pressing against her back. From this day forward he would protect her. There was no other choice.
His cock still inside her, he kissed the spot where he’d bitten her. His body still shook, and he couldn’t seem to find his voice, until he heard her soft sob.
“Bianca?” he leaned back, shifting his weight so that he was kneeling beside her. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not that.”
So many emotions filled his body and mind as he brushed back her hair, her pale skin rosy with color. “Then what is it?”
Her watery gaze locked onto his. “Thank you,” she muttered.
His brow furrowed. “For what?”
“For claiming me,” she said softly. “For giving me a chance to prove myself to you. I honestly didn’t think you would.”
He sighed, cupping her face and kissing her lips. Bianca was his now, and he knew that he would have to protect her from not only Sebastian McCarthy, but from Lilly. Surely the vampire queen would want her back, something he could never let happen and would kill to make sure didn’t.
“You are mine, Bianca,” he told her. “Now and forever.”
Closing her eyes, she nuzzled against his palm. He lifted her up and brought her into the confines of his arms. “Where is your room?”
She pointed a trembling finger in the direction of the hallway to the rear of the cabin. He held her close as he walked her to the bed, gently placing her on the soft mattress. She scooted back, and he crawled between her legs, sliding inside her body once more. She gasped as he filled her.
Looking into her eyes, he said, “No more tears, Bianca.” He set a steady pace, rocking his hips forward. “I need the strong woman I trained with to join me in this bed. I need you to no longer fear me.” He lowered his mouth to hers and bit her bottom lip, forcing a hiss of pain from her throat. “I can’t do this without you.” His pace quickened, and her fingers dug into the flesh of his back. She arched her hips, driving him deeper inside her pussy. “Can you do that for me, Bianca? Can you give me everything?”
A wild moan of pleasure sprung from her throat as she cried, “Yes, oh, God, yes!”
Her pussy gripped his shaft tight and he grinned.
Mine…
Chapter 6
Ryder’s sharp blade slid into Bianca’s belly with the ease of slipping into warm butter. The dampness of her heated blood oozed onto his hand, sticky and thick. Her breath hitched. The terror-filled expression in her eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life.
No!
The weight of her limp body forced him to guide her down. His hands clasped around her back, sliding free as she struggled for breath. The air was sucked from his lungs in a vacuum of horror. Everything around h
im melted into nothingness. All he could see was the paling of her skin, the black of her raven hair spilling all around her, and the crimson blood which drained from her body, soaking her white shirt and the ground where she lay.
Slowly Ryder pulled the weapon from her stomach. He gasped at the sight of her blood coating his hand and instantly dropped the knife at his feet. The sound of the extracting blade repeated in his mind and crept up his spine like spiders crawling along his flesh. Frozen in place, he stared at her and watched as the golden flicker in her eyes faded, fear and pain remaining.
Warren Higgins shoved Ryder aside as several members of his pack rushed toward Bianca. A council guard lifted Bianca into his arms and disappeared from sight.
Ryder’s mind raced with thoughts, but nothing made sense. Again and again, he replayed the events. Never had he intended to hurt Bianca.
Consumed with regret, Ryder tried desperately to fight the burning tears the filled his eyes. Staring off into the darkness where Bianca had vanished, he gave into the pain that ravaged his heart. His grief was too much, and unbearable sadness overcame him. He dropped to his knees, his fingers digging into the loose earth.
A solid fist connected with Ryder’s face, sending him up into the air and then flat on his back. Shocked by the power of the punch, he stared up, blinking several times to clear his vision. His gut churned with acid.
Joe O’Laughlin stripped his leather belt from his slacks, folded it in half, and prepared to strike. A deep scowl was etched on his face. Ryder swallowed hard, knowing his father was displeased with his public display of emotion.
As his father advanced on him, Ryder reached out to block the hit, but it was too late. A fierce cry sprung from his throat as the belt slapped across his chest. The searing pain of his welting skin exploded within his mind.
Ryder’s breath hitched and his eyes flared open as he regained his senses. The memory was so fresh in his mind it felt as if that horrible moment in his life had just occurred. The pulse in his neck throbbed underneath the skin. All these years, he thought he’d killed Bianca, but it had been a lie to force him to be a more ferocious hybrid.
