“I don’t know about this…”
“If you want me to answer your questions, this is your only option. It’s up to you.” Ryder uncrossed his arms and began stroking Knight’s forehead, whispering to him to keep him calm. He knew he was putting Aylie in a difficult spot, but he had to make sure that she would keep his secret. This was the only way he could think of to do that without endangering himself and everything his father had worked so hard to protect.
Aylie started pacing the barn floor, raking her fingers through her long hair as she deliberated. He could tell that she was mentally running through her options, trying to decide if what he had to say was worth it. He waited patiently for her to make up her mind, giving her space to think it through. Finally, she stopped pacing. “You’re sure it only feels like a pin prick?”
Ryder shrugged. “More or less.”
Aylie frowned. “That’s not very reassuring.”
“Do you want to know or not?”
“You know I do,” she said emphatically, locking eyes with him to show how sincere she was.
“Well, I’m willing to take the risk…are you?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Ryder withdrew a small, black Swiss Army knife from the pocket of his jeans and snapped open the blade. He heard Aylie’s sharp intake of breath and reached for her hand.
“Don’t look at the blade,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “Focus on me.”
She nodded bravely, forcing herself to keep eye contact with him. Without hesitation, he took the tip of the blade and stuck her palm with it, drawing a tiny trickle of blood from the flesh in the center. Before she even had time to react, he did the same to his own palm, and then grabbed her hand so the blood in their palms mixed.
“Repeat after me,” he said, without breaking eye contact. “I swear to protect your secret until the day I die or willingly accept the consequences of my betrayal.”
Aylie narrowed her eyes. “It this really necessary?”
“Just say it.”
Aylie sighed. “I swear to protect your secret until the day I die or willingly accept the consequences of my betrayal.”
Ryder grinned. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Aylie quickly withdrew her hand, wiping the blood off on a barn rag. “Speak for yourself.”
Ryder wiped the blood from his own palm off on his jeans, but the cut on his hand was a little deeper than he’d thought and a steady stream of blood began to pool in the center. “Damn it.” He cursed. “I’m out of practice.”
“You need a bandage,” Aylie remarked calmly. “I’ll go get something from the house.”
“No. Your parents can’t know about this. You promised—absolute secrecy.”
Aylie put her hands on her hips. “Well what are you going to do about the blood, then?”
“I don’t know.” He looked around the barn. “You wouldn’t happen to have healing superpowers up your sleeve, would you?”
Aylie shot him a look. “Yeah, sure.”
Ryder shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”
Aylie looked around the barn as well, spotting a tackle box full of horse supplies in the far corner. She walked over to it and started digging around for something. A moment later, she returned with a roll of ace wrap. “We can use this,” she announced, as she began to uncoil the wrap. She took a long section and ripped it from the rest of the roll. Then she proceeded to wrap the material around his hand and secured it with a metal fastener to stop the bleeding. He couldn’t help noticing how soft her hands were and how gently she wrapped the wound, careful to make sure the bandage wasn’t too tight or too loose.
“You’re good at this,” he said, observing the way stray wisps of blond hair fell across her face as she worked. He felt her blood rise at his compliment and noticed her cheeks color slightly. It was intriguing how much she seemed to be affected by his words—especially when they were in close proximity like they were now.
When she had finished, he flexed his hand, checking to make sure he could still move his fingers. “Thanks.
Aylie put the remains of the roll back in the tackle box and stood in front of him expectantly. “Okay, tell me what you know.”
Ryder quirked an eyebrow. “You’re quite impatient,” he observed.
“I just let you slice into my hand with a pocket knife—I think I have the right to be impatient.”
He regarded her for a moment. “Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
Ryder shook his head. “Just remember you asked for it.” He moved toward the barn doors.
Aylie hesitated. “Where are you going?”
“Outside…I can’t answer your questions in here.”
“Why not?” She demanded.
“It’s not really something I can explain with words…it’s something I have to show you.”
She bit her lip. “Where are we going, then?”
Ryder’s mouth spread into an impish grin. “Are you worried I’m going to whisk you away to my haunted castle to eat you?”
Aylie frowned. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s a matter of perspective,” he replied with a smirk. “But don’t worry, this won’t take
long.” He smiled to himself as he led her away
CHAPTER TEN
A ylie followed Ryder silently out of the barn and into the cold night. The thermometer said it was twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit, but she was guessing the wind-chill was much colder. She couldn’t keep herself from shivering as they trudged through the snowdrifts to the pasture gate. “Seriously, Ryder,” she complained, stopping short. “Where are we going?” Her teeth chattered.
“Into the trees.”
“You mean into the forest?” She replied incredulously.
“Of course. I can’t very well share my secrets out here in the open.”
“You could’ve just explained everything back in the barn,” she groaned. “Are you trying to give me pneumonia?”
“Are you trying to get us killed?” He replied rhetorically. He held the gate open for her and started walking again before she had a chance to respond.
Aylie pouted internally as she trailed after him, away from the ranch and into the Forest. This is seriously the perfect setting for a horror story. She thought, as they started to weave through the maze of fur trees. Attractive boy leads naïve, unsuspecting girl into the haunted forest to meet her death….
I’m surprised you would classify yourself as ‘naïve and unsuspecting’ Ryder replied in her mind. Although it is quite flattering to be considered the attractive villain of your internal monologue.
“Stop reading my mind!” she commanded, blushing in the dark. “You still haven’t even explained to me how you’re doing it.”
“I’m getting there,” he said, finally stopping in the middle of a small clearing.
Aylie was starting to feel extremely annoyed with his vague and condescending replies, but she was thankful for the chance to stop and catch her breath so she held her tongue. Ryder walked much faster than she did, but she wasn’t about to admit that she couldn’t keep up with him. She drew in several large breaths, despite the fact that her lungs were aching from the cold.
“You might want to stand back for this,” Ryder announced, as he proceeded to take off his leather jacket. Then he peeled off the t-shirt he was wearing underneath and began to unfasten his belt buckle.
“What on earth are you doing?” Aylie exclaimed, feeling a little mortified.
“This is part of the answer to your question,” he replied, as he dropped his jeans to his ankles and stepped out of them. Now he was standing in nothing but his boxers. “You might want to turn your head if you’re afraid of seeing me in all of my glory.”
Aylie turned the other way, closing her eyes. She was a little embarrassed at how uncomfortable this situation was making her. Many of her friends would’ve paid money to see Ryder strip down naked, but it wasn’t really her t
hing and she was starting to wish that she hadn’t forced Ryder to explain himself. She felt his hand on her shoulder but refused to look at him.
“I hope you’re as good at fending off predators as you think you are,” he murmured darkly into her ear.
Aylie’s heart rate accelerated suddenly, slamming against the walls of her chest. It was a little hard to tell whether it was from fear or because she knew Ryder was standing so close to her—completely naked. She heard a familiar thrashing sound and a deep guttural cry, followed by that same eerie growling noise she’d heard several nights before. Chills ran down her spine as she turned slowly, opening her eyes one at a time. There, standing in front of her, was an enormous black panther with blood red eyes. He was barely visible in the dark, which made the situation even more terrifying. His eyes were glowing like fire and he looked unmistakably angry.
Aylie stumbled backwards in the dark, tripping over a thick tree root by her feet. She was too afraid to move, watching the panther as it began pacing slowly from side to side—sizing her up. She knew from childhood trips to the zoo that panthers were nocturnal and could see best at night. She also knew they were extremely fast and could climb trees, so escape was virtually impossible.
The panther suddenly advanced.
“Ryder—it’s me, Aylie. I’m your friend, remember?” She tried talking to it to see if she could reason with him.
The animal paid no attention to her words and began to circle her menacingly.
“I’m not a threat to you,” she coaxed. “You don’t want to hurt me.”
The Panther growled in response—a deep, bone-rattling sound that shook her to the core. It was no use. Ryder had completely lost touch with his humanity. He couldn’t understand what she was saying and didn’t seem to recognize her at all. He sank slowly into a graceful crouch, posing to strike. Clearly he had no intentions of leaving her alive. Frozen in terror, Aylie had nothing but her mind for a weapon. Ryder—stop this! You’re not a killer…this isn’t who you are.
The animal cocked its head to one side, looking at her like it was confused. Aylie let out a sigh of relief. He’d understood her on some level. She had to find a way to convince him to change back into his human form but she had no idea if she’d be able to do it. You morphed into this creature, now change yourself back. She demanded. You’re human—just like me.
The panther suddenly sprang to its feet, walking toward her with slow, calculating steps. Aylie sucked in a breath and held it, trying to remain completely still. She knew this tactic sometimes worked with bears, but she wasn’t sure how effective it was in fooling large wild cats. Ryder, think about what you’re doing.
The large black cat stopped right in front of her, staring into her face with it’s glowing red eyes. It’s me…Aylie. She pleaded, hoping desperately that the animal would suddenly recognize her and retreat. Instead, it lowered its large head dangerously close to her face and sniffed, as if to catch her scent. She kept perfectly still, doing her best to conceal her fear. Animals could always sense fear, but predators fed on it.
The panther growled in her ear and Aylie closed her eyes, trying to mentally prepare herself for the worst. She would never see her family again—her parents, her brothers, her friends. Suddenly the things that had once seemed so important to her didn’t matter anymore. Her grades, the universities she had applied to, the scholarships she was counting on…it was all a hallow dream. She felt the heat of the panther’s hot breath on her face and lowered her head into her hands. This was not how she pictured her life ending—not that she’d ever imagined her death at all. She’d thought she would have the rest of her life to do the things she’d dreamed of, but now it was all over and she had no one to thank but herself.
Ryder had warned her. He had warned her over and over but she hadn’t listened. He’d hinted to her that he was dangerous and capable of evil, but she hadn’t taken him seriously. He’d given her every chance to change her mind, but she’d been stubborn and headstrong and too damn curious. She wallowed in her own misery, thinking of everything she wished she could have said to her family and friends. She was so wrapped up in the anguish of her thoughts that time seemed to stand still as she waited for her fate to overtake her.
Something touched her shoulder and she winced, waiting for the pain to start. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She didn’t feel its teeth sink into her skin, which was a small relief. Maybe the panther would go for her jugular—that would be more merciful than a slow, torturous bleeding….
“Aylie, open your eyes.”
She was startled by the sound of Ryder’s human voice and her eyes flew wide open. He was standing in front of her again, fully human. He had already put his clothes back on and was kneeling on the ground in front of her with a curious look on his face.
“Are you okay?”
She swallowed and nodded, unsure of whether or not she could speak.
“You’re not hurt.” He sounded a little shocked. “To be honest, I’m a little surprised I didn’t try to bite your head off.”
Aylie felt her bottom lip quiver a little. “Good to know.”
“Come on.” Ryder stood to his feet and held out his hand.
She contemplated staying where she was on the cold, hard ground—afraid that the demon panther might reappear at any moment. She looked at him warily, her eyes darting around in every direction, searching for danger.
“You’re safe now, Aylie—I promise.”
“Are there more like you?” She asked, hesitantly taking his hand.
He pulled her to her feet. “Not anymore.”
The sadness in his voice was unmistakable. Aylie tried to be sympathetic, though she couldn’t say she genuinely felt sorry for him on that count after what she’d just experienced. “Your dad could do this, too?”
He nodded. “And my brothers. Gramps was too old there at the end, but I’ve heard stories about when he was younger.”
Aylie shuddered. “oh.” She turned around, scanning the trees for a way out of the forest. Her throat felt a little tight and her muscles were stiff from the strain of terror and tension. Her appendages were starting to feel numb so the cold wasn’t really bothering her anymore.
Ryder came up beside her. “The ranch is that way,” he said gently, pointing in the opposite direction. “I’ll take you home now.”
Aylie had so many questions, but she was too shell-shocked to ask them right now. Ryder may not be a werewolf, but he certainly wasn’t just an ordinary human. And if he wasn’t what he seemed, there could be others just like him lurking out there somewhere in the forest. Was anyone in Silvervane truly safe with predators on the loose who could disguise themselves like regular people? Could someone with Ryder’s abilities be murdering his family?
Aylie glanced sideways at him as they shuffled into the barn. She looked around to make sure no one was there before she spoke out loud. “Are there other people like you outside of Silvervane?”
Ryder nodded hesitantly.
Aylie swallowed. “I have a lot of questions.”
He turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his as he looked into her eyes. “I can’t tell you anything else tonight…it’s too risky.”
“Why not?” She frowned, feeling a little disgruntled at being so close to knowing his secret and yet so far from understanding it.
Just then her older brother Lucas appeared in the doorway. His eyes immediately fell on her hands in Ryder’s and she quickly withdrew them, stepping away from him.
“Lucas—this is Ryder Payne,” Aylie faltered. “He’s our neighbor at the Mansion.”
Lucas folded his arms across his chest, scowling. “I know who he is.”
“He just came over to hang out while I was doing chores.” She explained. She wasn’t sure how convincing the lie was, but she had to say something to try and appease him. He was her protective older brother and he wasn’t afraid to use a gun to frighten away undeserving suitors.
“What happened to y
our hand?” Lucas asked, looking down at the bandage wrapped around Ryder’s palm suspiciously.
“Cut myself on the way here,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Lucas didn’t seem convinced but he changed the subject. “Mom was getting worried because the chores were taking so
long,” he said. “Better come inside before you get pneumonia.”
Aylie nodded and turned to say goodbye to Ryder. Lucas waited impatiently for her in the doorway and she knew she had no choice but to let the conversation go for now. Ryder nodded in understanding and slipped past Lucas, out into the night. There was no telling where he’d gone or what he was about to do. Aylie shivered just thinking about it and followed her brother into the house.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“D on’t be mad, okay?” Ren’s voice pleaded through the phone.
“Why would I be mad at you?” Aylie asked, holding the phone to her ear with one hand as she struggled to get dressed with the other. Lacey would be arriving to pick her up any minute and she didn’t want to make everyone late.
“Well…I may have signed us up for something,” Ren replied nervously.
“Okay, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Aylie dropped the phone by accident and reached down to pick it up, hoping she hadn’t missed anything important
“…I don’t know how Lacey will feel about it, though.”
“You don’t know how Lacey will feel about what?”
“About the tournament!” Ren exclaimed.
“What tournament?”
“The paintball tournament…I just told you that a second ago.”
“You signed us up for a paintball tournament?”
“Aylie, weren’t you listening at all?” Ren sighed into the phone. “There’s a campus-wide paintball tournament today and my brother was trying to put together a team. You have to have an equal number of guys and girls. There are three guys, so they needed three girls...”
Aylie smiled. “Is Eli one of those guys, by any chance?”
“I didn’t do it because of him,” Ren replied defensively. “Besides, we would’ve spent the day at the mall or something boring like that anyways. We could use a day of fun, don’t you think?”
WAKENED (The Silvervane Chronicles Book 1) Page 9
