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Ryker’s eyes snap to mine, and he curses under his breath before shocking the hell out of me and kneeling in front of me. I’m on the edge of the bed, and Ryker gets down on my level, cupping my face as he catches my tears on his thumb before wiping them away.
He gives me a cryptic yet meaningful look, that internal debate still raging inside him.
“I’ll be right back,” he says. I frown as he practically bolts for the door.
“Alright,” I say slowly, drawing the word out as he heads out the door.
Ryker grabs the handle as he passes, pulling the door closed behind him. A loud snap sounds from the door, making the whole thing shake. I leap to my feet, my heart jackhammering in my chest.
“Ryker? Are you okay? What was that?”
I try the handle, but the knob won’t turn. I freeze, the reality of my situation creeping into my awareness.
“Did you just rip the door handle off from the outside?” I shout, anger and confusion coursing through my veins.
“Uh, just sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
“What the hell, Ryker?” I screech, panic setting in. “If you wanted me gone, you could have just said so.”
“No,” comes his emphatic response. “No leaving. I, uh…” he trails off, sounding frazzled and about as shocked as I am. “I’ll be back. I promise,” he says again.
“Where are you going?” I scream at him. He doesn’t answer, and I growl in frustration, spinning to look around at the room.
As I replay the events of tonight, I have just one thought.
What the fuck is he doing?
NINE
Ryker
What the fuckam I doing?
My wolf snarls at me and I bite back a growl. He doesn’t know what we’re doing either, and he doesn’t like it.
That makes two of us.
Stomping down the stairs, I try to maintain my composure as I search for the only person who might possibly understand where I’m coming from. Koda.
I’ve been on edge ever since my wolf and I smelled Malia last night and realized she was our mate. My wolf demanded that we claim her right then and there, but there were too many humans around and I couldn’t risk them seeing me biting and marking her. Not to mention the fact that Malia is also human, and would have been terrified of me and my wolf had we lost control.
My wolf and I barely slept last night. I was worried that the obsessed beast would take over and tear through the castle to claim her as ours. I had to stay awake to keep him under control, and it left both of us exhausted and grumpy.
Since I can’t trust my wolf right now, I had to keep my distance from Malia while the ceremony was underway. It killed me to not be by her side and I could tell it was upsetting her too.
When I saw Malia whispering to Ren, I instinctively headed their way, only to watch the two of them run off. Of course I followed them. Did my mate really think I’d let her go?
My wolf growls that she doesn’t know she’s our mate, his frustration with my decision on that matter evident.What else was I supposed to do?I challenge him
He scoffs, letting me know he’s not a fan of our current plan. Looking at the broken off doorknob in my hand, I have to agree. I have no idea how to fix this, and what’s worse, is I should know better. I watched my best friend almost ruin his chances with his mate for doing the same thing.
Granted, Koda locked his mate in a tower, whereas at least my mate is in her immaculate room with a fluffy bed and entertainment.
That’s not the point,I chastise myself. I locked her up. It doesn’t matter if her accommodations are better than a five-star hotel. I took away her freedom.
My mind races as guilt twists up my insides. Where the hell is Koda? I need him to tell me how to fix this so I can make it up to my mate and we can get back on track.
I spot my oldest friend standing with Salem and Romer, all three looking about as ready to be done with all of this as I am.
