Where’d he get the potion that suppressed my magick?
When does this end?
What evenisthis?
Most importantly: will he kill me?
He claims he won’t hurt me, but it may not even be the truth.
By now, I imagine Mom going nuts between planning a fight and respecting my choices. Jasper and his parents will cool herdown. It’s generally how things work in our family. For now, she needs to trust me to remain alive.
Step one: figure out what is going on.
Step two: let Mom know, no matter what it is.
She’ll understand. As High Priestess, choices must be made and I’ve made mine, even if it’s not the one she would have.
My skin pebbles, exhaustion making me even colder. I pull the cloak around me and curl my body tighter, only to be struck with the most unfortunate realization.
I need to pee.
Glancing around the room, I realize at this point, I’ll accept a bucket, but there’s not even one of those. Ryder better return soon or else I won’t be liable for these chairs.
As though my hopes were answered by Hecate Herself, the door is pushed open and Ryder’s imposing form shoulders inside. His gaze finds me and when I’m expecting hatred, anger, or whatever numerous possible emotions that could indicate why I’m here, something else flashes.
Dismay.
He slowly crosses the room. His attention moves from me to the bed-thing and back, dismay slipping into almost physical pain. As if it’shisarm’s dangling from the ceiling and going numb.
Getting his attention from whatever weird breakdown he’s having, I shake my limb. “If you could free me, that’d be great.”
His expression cools into something recognizable—distaste. Shockingly and without argument, he undoes the rope from the ceiling. It falls to our feet, the other end still tied around my wrist.
He remains close, his presence another zap like the one felt this morning when he first touched me. Maybe it’s the little voice in my head reminding me of potential danger because that’s all Ryder is—danger in physical form.
Gambling on my next request being granted as well, I tip my head up to the imposing form of the Alpha, wondering if he’s practiced his glare in the mirror. It seems too perfect to not have been, right down to the curl of his lip and the rigidness of his jaw.
Would it be rude to ask if they even have mirrors?
“I need to pee.”
He blinks down at me, body jerking as though surprised to hear me speak, but before I can make a snarky comment about being a prisoner, he bends for the rope and loops it around his hand.
He’s leashed me. Charming. If I didn’t have to pee so badly, I’d bitch. Of all the fights we’ll probably have,thisisn’t the one to focus on. Not when he’s holding all the power over my bladder.
Ryder leads me outside and around the side of his cabin. The camp appears dead to the world. Good, because the less people to witness my humiliation, the better.
Shivering in the cool, low temperatures, I bring my cloak closer, thankful for its presence. In comparison, my wolfy captor remains shirtless, suggesting at least one thing Mom taught me is the truth: that they run warmer than us and humans.
Ryder leads me through the forest, the rope slack. When reaching a seemingly unmarked area, he stops and gestures ahead. “I’ll wait here.”
Wonderful.Peeing in the forest was not on my bucket list.
“I ever tell you I despise camping?”
“No, but good to know.” He throws me a derisive smirk before turning his back.
At least he’s respectful.
