Page 52 of Hunted By Them

I touched her shoulder and waited until she locked eyes with me before I smirked.

“It’s okay, Sweet Daisy,” I growled like I had that night. My voice low and steady, the ranger badge heavy on my chest, but as her eyes grew wide, I knew that was no longer what she saw. “We’ll take care of him for you.”

Eyes wide, lips parted. “You…it’s you.”

I pulled the antler free of Connor’s shoulder and stared at the blood dripping off the tip in the moonlight. Wiping it off on Conner’s jacket, I tucked it into my back pocket. Pulling out my cuffs, I yanked his arms behind his back and locked the cuffs around his wrists. He groaned weakly, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re safe.”

Her chest heaved, eyes darting from Connor’s crumpled form to me, then back.

“You’re…a ranger. You…you were at my car when I woke up.”

I didn’t say anything while she put all the pieces together on her own.

“Then, when I came back. We spoke, why didn’t I recognize your voice…I’m so pissed. Of course, you’re park rangers. You’re all rangers, right?”

I nodded

“Oh my god. You know the forest like the back of your hand, all the animals, and who was here and who was gone. Jesus…”

Sweet Daisy poked me in the chest and glared. It was fucking adorable. Staring at her furious face and messy hair, with bits of leaves tangled throughout, was turning me on.

“You broke into my apartment and…”

I wrapped my hand around her neck and pushed back until the large tree stopped our movement. I trapped her as I had while chasing her. Her breath hitched. I let out a growl as I nipped at her bottom lip.

“I remember exactly what I did.”

Sweet Daisy licked her lips, eyes blown with desire, but she was trying to pretend she wasn’t affected. I traced her jaw with my lips all the way to her ear. I soaked in the way she trembled. She wasn’t fighting me or trying to get away. There was no fear.

“I remember you asking me to stay. You even used the word, please,” I whispered.

“Are you going to kill me? Now that I’ve seen your face.”

I chuckled. Instead of answering right away, I kissed her hard. Sage opened her mouth, letting me taste her sweet flavor. The dark scents of the night were creeping into my system. The wolf howling in the distance only fed my need for her.

Breaking the kiss, I slowly shook my head.

“No, Sweet Daisy. I’m going to do what I should’ve done in the first place and claim you as mine forever.”

“What does that mean?”

I glanced around at the forest, and she followed my gaze. “This is your home now. It’s either us or death. We gave you the opportunity to move on, but here you are back in my grasp, and I can’t let you go now.”

“Why? Why me?”

“Because your soul calls to mine,” I stated, softly, and meant it.

We were the same coin, just opposite sides. She balanced us out in a way that I hadn’t seen coming but was determined to keep.

“Try to deny it. Say you don’t feel it, but I’ll know that you’re lying. I can see it in your eyes, as easily as staring into a mirror. We were always meant to be. I told you that you were mine. I fucking meant it.”

Sweet Daisy locked eyes with me, running her lip between her teeth.

“I can’t deny it. So…you’re the buck?”

The corner of my mouth tilted up. “Among other things. Name’s Ryder Ward.”