~ Chapter 11 ~
Ryder’s stomach was in knots when he left the airport, nerves taking over now that he was finally back on home soil. His goodbyes had been sad, and he knew he’d miss the Highlands, but he’d also felt it was time to return and face his past.
Now that he was actually here though, he was having second thoughts. What if he no longer fitted in with the Pack? Or what if Clayr hated the sight of him? Damn! His mind was going off in a dozen different tangents and none of them were good.
He stood with his luggage, mind wandering, when a familiar voice tugged him out of his musings.
“Ryder? Is that you?”
Mason! Hell. If that didn’t beat all. Cam had to send Clayr’s brother to pick him up. This wasn’t going to go well. Not with her overprotective, overbearing, and hard-as-nails brother. The one who used to tower over him and make him feel puny and insecure.
He turned, keeping his face clear of any emotion to find Mason behind him and was shocked to find that he was an inch, or two, taller. He looked down into Mason’s surprised face and said, “Hello, Mason.”
Mason looked him up and down, giving him a good once over, and it was clear he wasn’t expecting to see what he was seeing. “You’ve filled out some,” Mason commented.
“Aye, just a bit,” Ryder replied.
“Aye?” Mason raised an eyebrow. “Picked up some of the lingo too I see.”
“I suppose.” Ryder picked up his luggage, noticing Mason didn’t offer his hand in welcome, not that he expected it.
“I’m in the short-stay parking so we need to move,” Mason barked curtly.
“I’m ready.” Ryder hefted everything alone and hurried after Clayr’s brother. Shit, this was going to be a hell of a ride home. Would they make it without coming to blows?
They didn’t speak another word until they were in the SUV and on their way, sun beating through the windshield, and finally Mason huffed out, “Why didn’t you contact her?”
Ryder had thought about that a hundred times. No, a thousand times. Each time he’d pushed it away because each time the pain had been too much to bear but now he knew he had to face it. He had to face Clayr.
Glancing over he saw Mason’s eyes glaring at him, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. So he decided to go with the truth. “Maybe because I was a petulant teen who was angry and upset because she chose university over me. So I did what I’d done when I was younger, in my original Pack . . . I ran. I was angry, Mason, and I was a stupid kid.”
“You were a fucking moron,” Mason ground out. “And just so you know . . . this conversation is between you and me. Nothing we say is to be repeated. She doesn’t hear any of it. Got that, Ryder?”
Ryder bristled at his tone. “I’m no longer that kid, Mason. Don’t talk to me as if I am. If this is between you and me then that’s fine but don’t fucking talk to me like that.”
Mason snarled, pulling the truck over to the side of the road and slamming his hand on the dash. “She’s my sister! I felt her pain! She wouldn’t talk to me about it. Refused to discuss it . . .”
Ryder opened the door stopping his tirade. “Outside, Mason.”
Mason nodded. “Aye!”
Ryder stepped out and away from the road, into the trees and waited. Mason charged toward him, anger flowing from him in waves as he slid to a stop, nostrils flaring like a blazing bull. Ryder held his arms out to the side. “You have one shot, Mason. I fucked up and hurt her. I know that and you’re angry so get it over with.”
Mason didn’t hesitate, his hand balled into a fist, his arm muscles bunching tight as he swung and hit him square on the jaw. Ryder’s head flew to the side, his ears ringing, blood flew from his nose and mouth, and for a moment he feared he’d go down . . . and although his legs wobbled he stayed upright. Mason’s eyes wide with shock as he stepped back, looking at his fist then Ryder’s bloody face.
“Fuck!” Mason bent over, hands on his knees, sucking in gulps of air.
Ryder took the reprieve to breathe deeply too, clearing his own head and checking whether his jaw was still intact. It was, barely, but it hurt like a bitch and his nose was out of place. Damn.
“Hey, Mason, could you gimme a hand here?” Ryder asked. “My nose needs popping back in.”
Mason’s head lifted. “Shit, I’m sorry.”
Ryder shrugged. “I thought it was the best way to get that anger outta you. It was that or spend the rest of the journey with you bitchin’ at me, but I’d like to sort this out now ‘cause I can hardly breathe.”
“Sure.” Mason came over, tilting Ryder’s head. “This is gonna hurt, hold still.”
With a quick tug and pop his nose was back where it belonged. “Ouch!” Ryder shook his head. “Now, again, I’m sorry for what I did when I was a kid. Can we put that behind us? And, I might add, that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get in touch. I waited for weeks, praying every night for a call, an email, a text. When I didn’t get anything, I was devastated and I thought she didn’t care about me . . . just saying, Mason. It wasn’t all on me.”
Mason scowled, giving a growl. “But you started it. You left the damn country.”
“She left first.” Ryder countered.
Mason stepped back, sighing. “She went to study for fuck sake! That’s different.”
“At the time, to me, it wasn’t. I felt as if she’d abandoned me.” Ryder shrugged. “I was wrong, I’ve already admitted that. But we were both wrong in refusing to get in touch.”
“Okay, let’s agree to disagree.” Mason shook his head. “You’ve got some jaw on you, lad. Not many men can take a hit from me and stay on their feet.”
“I’m not just any man. Not anymore, Mason.” Ryder stood taller, looking down at Mason. “I’m all grown up and ready to accept my past mistakes and take my place within the Pack.”
Mason scratched his head, eyeing him up. “Aye, Ryder, I think you are.”
“Can we go home now?” Ryder asked, eager to get on his way and see what the future now held for him now that he was no longer running from it but toward it.