Ryker Dare
I slammed my hand down on the desk. My eyes were tired from looking at files all day, and a pounding headache pulsed through my skull. I was in my own pack house with Kei in my bed. I had finally left after putting five guards in front of the door and five outside in the yard in front of the window. And then I had to deal with the one man that I considered to be the biggest thorn in my side.
“Thomas, I don’t have time for this.” I gritted, my annoyance level reaching its peak.
He glared back at me with equal aggravation. “You don’t have time for the rogue attacks?” He snarled, and I bared my teeth, letting my power fill the room like cotton.
“I don’t have time for your complaints. I’m working on the attacks, but having you complaining in my ear every five minutes isn’t going to make the process faster.”
We both stood, glaring at each other with both our powers flaring around us. Finally, after not letting up, he backed down. Sighing, he ran both of his hands in his hair while yanking at it painfully.
“Just what is going on?”
I shut my eyes and breathed deeply through my nose. “That’s something I can’t answer right now. Just go back to your pack and be on guard. That’s all you can do at this point.” As I opened my eyes, I saw him studying me quizzically.
“And what are you going to do?”
I looked to my right and out of the window into the dark night. “I’m going to wait.”
* * *
Walking down the dim corridor, I noticed five of my men standing at attention. When I passed them, they all bowed their heads in respect.
“Go get some rest. I’ll call you if something goes wrong.”
“Yes, Alpha,” they said in unison, and I nodded before entering the room and shutting the door behind me. I stood still, studying the sleeping form in the king-sized bed. I could hear her soft breathing from all the way across the room, and my heart clenched.
Finally taking a step closer, I watched as the moon shining through the window reflected on her hair, making it twinkle like liquid mercury. My gaze darted over to the clock on the bedside table to see that it was 11:40 PM, twenty minutes until it would be Kei’s birthday.
Closing the distance, I slipped my shoes off along with the stuffy suit jacket and tie. Flinging the clothing on the couch that was placed in front of the empty fireplace, I sighed and walked over to a cabinet, opened it and pulled out a brandy. Pulling the cork out with a pop, I looked over to see Kei still soundly asleep. Taking a swig from straight out of the bottle, I walked over to the bed and sat on her side.
The bed dipped from my weight, and I stared at her sleeping face. She looked peaceful, unlike when she was at Hale’s. Holding the bottle in one hand, I traced the contours of her face with the other.
“What exactly are you dreaming about?” I muttered to the empty room. She didn’t respond. Turning away, I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my elbows on my knees, the brandy hanging precariously between my fingers. “What is going on?” I sounded broken even to my own ears. Who knew that a young she-wolf could bring the alpha king to his knees in over a month?
“Why must it be like this?” I asked once again to no one. “Why does Kei have to suffer? Hasn’t she suffered enough?” I was rambling angrily, and if anyone had walked in, they would have thought that I would have finally lost it, which I did. Standing, I gripped the glass bottle so hard I heard the glass crack in my hand. “Dammit! Why?” I turned and fell to my knees, facing the bed. At this time, the glass bottle couldn’t handle the pressure any longer and finally broke, pieces of glass sticking in my hand while the booze ran down my arm. I had become numb enough that the fiery burning didn’t register one bit. Instead, I swept the glass away and held her hand with my uninjured one, caressing it with my thumb.
“Kei, don’t you see what you’re doing to me? You’re making me unravel gradually, slowly. And then, when I finally get you back, you go unconscious, leaving me alone again. Kei, don’t you understand that I’ve been alone for over two hundred years with no mate to come home to?
“After all of these years, I had lost hope, but you know that I’m still a virgin,” I remarked dryly. “Deep down, I still hoped that I would find my soulmate, my other half. And I did. I found you.” I felt a strange heaviness in my eyes, filling with a substance that I’d never known.
“Kei, baby, my world finally found its axis after you came into my life. And now that you’re not here with me, awake and smiling beautifully, my world has lost its spin, and I’m standing still once more.” With my bleeding hand dangling by my side, I bent my head and clutched her limp hand in mine as if it were a lifeline. That’s when I felt it, the salty wetness of tears rolling down my cheeks one by one like dutiful soldiers carrying out their orders.
“Kei. Wake up, baby, please,” I pleaded gruffly, not caring one ounce about crying. I felt everything inside crumble slowly. The world that I had made for myself wasn’t enough for only me anymore. Kei had made her place, and now I needed her. With my head still bent, I cried silently still holding her hand. I was so consumed with my own emotions I didn’t notice the fluttering of her eyelashes or the way her hand twitched and then finally grasping my own. What I did notice, however, was the way her hand lightly flitted through my hair, combing it with her fingers. I looked up slowly to see a sight that I would never forget for the rest of my years of living.
Kei Valancia was sitting up with her long hair around her face. Her soft green eyes glowed from the moonlight and then bled through to red. A sweet smile beautified her features even further, and I felt the air in my lungs catch. I watched as her eyes looked at my cheeks, and an unknown emotion flickered on her face before it disappeared. Her hand in my hair trailed down to cup my right cheek, wiping my tears with the pad of her thumb.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and that was what broke me completely. Standing, I loomed over her, and she looked at me with that same soft expression. Getting on the bed on one knee, I reached back and cupped the back of her head, pulling her in. She didn’t resist as I closed the distance between our lips, her familiar taste coating my tongue. Sweet and salty with my tears, this kiss showed all of my raw emotions for her—how much I cared and all my sorrow and how much I loved her.
Pulling away, I leaned my head against hers and closed my eyes. I felt her eyes on my face, and it finally dawned on me that she couldn’t see my face. But then my eyes popped open to her staring at me. How did she know that I was crying?
Maybe she saw our sadness, Axel offered.
Maybe. But she couldn’t have been able to tell where to wipe the tears.
Her smile, this time, was wide and bright, and then I knew.
“You are more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined. But my imagination sucks, anyway. You should see how I draw my stick figures,” she said in a teasing tone.
I was frozen, hovering above her with disbelief.
“You can see?”
She grinned. “Pretty cool, huh? Now I get to see your sexy abs. Do you by any chance have any tattoos?”
Without warning, I wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close to my chest. I nuzzled her hair and inhaled deeply.
“Kei, Goddess, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” I said, feeling her hug me back just as tightly.
“I missed you too. Oh and Ryker?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
Pulling back, I stared at her. Her eyes were clear and true. The love that I saw enveloped me, and I knew that whatever happens next, she was going to be there by my side no matter what. And I would do the same for her. Leaning down, I brought our faces so close that our noses touched. I smiled gently and cupped her cheek in my hand, making sure to keep my injured one off her. Kissing her lightly on the lips, I inhaled her scent another time. Staring deep into her eyes, I said the words that have been stuck on my tongue since the moment I met her.
“I love you, Kei Valancia. You’re my world, my forever, and my queen. Whatever happens next, baby, I’ll always be by your side. But just know it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”