Page 9 of Wicked Fate

Ryker bared his teeth and paced a few feet in front of me, muscles so tight they quivered beneath his thick black coat.

I ached to press against his side, but I wasn’t sure if he’d want me to, considering the way he was reacting to my potentially manipulated mind. He probably saw me as weak.

Hell, maybe I was. The most likely solution was that my mindwasmanipulable, which wasn’t a good attribute for an alpha.

Ryker stopped pacing and looked at me. Something in his expression sent a spike of guilt and something uglier through my chest.

Doubt.

Of me. Of us. Or maybe even of my sanity at this point.

He moved closer, and for one breathless second, I thought he might nudge me or offer some kind of comfort. Instead, he turned and jerked his head in the direction we’d come from.

Right. Message received. He had to hate how much time we’d wasted when there were injured wolves that needed protecting and dead that needed burying.

“Ryker’s saying we need to head back. I hate to agree with him, but there are only six of us out here with no sign of Raven. We’ll be safer with more shifters around.” Gage wrinkled his nose. “Whateveritwas, it’s gone. And we’ve got wounded whoaren’tdisappearing into thin air.”

Even though Gage hadn’t meant it as an insult or sneer, his words were the equivalent of a gut punch. I’d caused us to waste additional time that was precious when the Blackwoods needed and deserved everyone’s help. I needed to go back there and make up for all the horrible things I’d believed about them. Still, there were questions I needed answered from them when the time was right.

“This time, no one should run off for any reason.” Kendric turned in my direction and continued, “That way, if she does see the man again or vampires pop up, we’ll all be together.”

Xander rolled his shoulders, keeping the gun gripped in his hand. “Agreed. Ryker wants Ember in the center of the group. We can’t be sure she’s not still a target.”

I snarled at the implied insult. I wasn’t a damn damsel that needed surrounding, but Briar moved so that I had to look at her face.

“Humor us, please.” Briar squatted so she was face level with me and gave me her classic puppy dog look, her eyes glassy. “You don’t know how hard it was for us to stand back when there were so many damn vampires around you. Imagine if it were me and I’d asked you to stay back like you did us.”

A cold knot formed in my stomach, and a little bit of pride swelled in my chest. Briar rarely acted like a leader and was quick to obey as long as she agreed with us, but when she needed to get her way, she knew how to work me. I exhaled and nodded my head.Fine. I’ll stay in the center. This one time.

The corners of her mouth tipped upward, but she fought the smile. “She agreed.”

Head dropping, Ryker let out a breath like he was relieved.

No doubt, he’d expected me to fight them more than that, but how could I when Briar put things in perspective for me?

Gage took the lead with his shoulders squared. Kendric and Xander flanked my sides, constantly scanning for a threat that we couldn’t see or hear. Briar drifted a step behind me, close enough that her breath brushed my shoulder.

And Ryker stalked right behind me, which made me want to slow so I could feel him at my side.

I both hated and loved the way his presence pulled at something buried deep in my chest. It felt even stronger now, like my ribs ached from my soul pressing against them, trying to break free to connect with him.

If Reid Blackwood hadn’t been my fated mate, there would’ve been no doubt that Ryker Grimstone was Fate’s pick for me. But that wasn’t how fated-mate bonds worked. Even if your fated mate rejected you, you didn’t get a second fated. People either lived out their lives alone or with a chosen mate who would never truly measure up to what Fate had in store for them.

Maybe the vampire’s witch had been messing with Ryker and me all along, if she could make me feel and see things that weren’t real.

The silence stretched as we moved quietly through the woods. My muscles twitched with every step, my aching wounds reminding me I was injured as well. Guilt sat like a lead weight in my stomach, gnawing at me.

A tingle ran down my spine… the same sensation all over again. Like I was being watched.

I couldn’t stop myself from glancing around and sniffing, hoping and fearing that the strange man would appear. Fear, because what if they didn’t see him? But also hope... because what if they did?

Ryker’s footsteps halted, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him studying the area more intently, like he was searching for the same thing as I was.

The sounds of footsteps and something being dragged hit my ears, followed by the scent of blood. We were almost back to the clearing where our group had been attacked.

Soft murmurs and whimpers echoed through the trees, followed by a single, broken howl.

One that screamed of death and heartbreak.

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