His question caught me off guard, and I glanced over my shoulder to find the stunning mixture of deep red, bright yellow, and strokes of orange painting the mountain as the sun hid in the sky, giving way to the rising bright silver moon.
“No more waiting, Tasha. Tonight, you’ll finally be mine.”
Ryker’s words from this morning echoed like warning bells as I glanced back at him. He must have noticed the alarm rushing through me because he chuckled, cupping my cheek, and caressing it soothingly with his thumb.
“I know you are nervous, but that’s normal. It’s just you and me from now on, Tasha. Remember this is what we want—a life together as mates, to have lots of cubs to inherit my strength and your beauty, and to continue our race as the Alpha’s heirs. This is good.”
After a peck on the lips, he took my hand and began to walk toward his cabin, tugging me along, but I planted my feet, resisting him. “Wait just a moment, please. I want to?—”
“We don’t have to wait anymore, that is the point,” he interrupted, clearly annoyed.
“I know, but?—”
“Stop being so dramatic, Tasha,” he growled. “We have waited years for this.” His steps resumed, and he dragged me again with more force.
The unmated females that stood nearby, watched me like I had surely lost my damn mind, resisting the Beta when they would kill to take my place, but this didn’t feel right anymore…
And two could play this game.
Pushing my wolf forward, I borrowed from her strength and yanked my hand out of his so hard that he had to sidestep not to fall, freeing myself.
“I said,wait,” I growled back. “I have to talk to Isis first. She told me to wait here for her and that is what I plan to do.”
Where the hell is she? Is she and our Alpha in the middle of killing each other?
“She has nothing to do with this!” His displeasure at my disobedience became evident in his now glowing yellow irises. “Your uncle,theShadow BornAlpha, gave you to me, and onlyhehas the final word.”
His hand tried to wrap around my arm, but I moved out of its way before he could reach me. “I’m not a thing he can just give away, I thought you knew that.”
“You are a she-wolf, it’s the same. We are mating tonight, end of discussion,” he barked, taking a menacing step toward me.
Oh, hell to the fucking no.
A growl surged through my being—my wolfdid notlike that either. Hot, sizzling temper flared inside of us, our anger mixing. “Stop, Ryker! I don’t want to mate with you!” I growled, shocking even myself.
“What did you just say?!” If his eyes were glowing before, now they were an erupting volcano, lava flowing from it. “It’s too late to change your mind, Natasha. We are going to mate whether you want it or not!”
The clear meaning of his threatening words echoed through the forest, filling me with shock, but most of all, insult. Ryker had never disrespected me like that or treated me that way. Like I was nothing.
Before he could blink again, my hand slammed against his cheek, thrusting his head to the side from the force—my wolf’s claws slicing his skin open in full support.
A vicious, full animal growl ripped from his throat when he looked at me, eyes wild, and for the first time, fear of him gripped me. Ryker’s clawed hands clamped around my arms, and he wrenched me toward him.
“No!” I shouted, but before I could slam against his chest, something rammed into Ryker, pushing me clear out of the way.
His body soared backward from the strength, crashing against the cold, hard ground.
Our attacker was so impossibly fast, that my eyes only caught one thing in the darkness falling over us…
Dark, leathery wings.
“Vampires!” I screamed.
4
Ryker jumped back on his feet immediately, but he was no longer a man. His massive raven-black wolf snarled, lunging himself at the blurring Vampire. Except, it wasn’t just the vicious creature’s speed that kept it out of our sight, literal shadows seemed to swirl around it, cloaking its presence.
It was as though the very darkness of night were alive and helping it. Could they also manipulate the night?
