Winter's Rise (The Winter Series Book 1)

by Breezy Jones

  My stomach dropped, and I brought my right hand up to my left arm—a shield meant to keep him away. His eyes held mine, lingering on my lips a second longer than necessary, and I wondered if there was more to it than what he’d said.

  “I’ll show you to your room,” he said, heading for the stairs.

  I didn’t move to follow as I stood frozen in his living room. Like a fool, I slowly brought a hand up to my neck, the flesh still flushed from his touch. “Craziest damn Thanksgiving ever,” I whispered out loud to the empty room.

  Chapter Eight

  Someone shook me awake, and I groaned, turning over to swat at the alarm clock.

  “Ugh, Ryker, you’re too early. The sun’s not even up, go home,” I moaned, burrowing myself back into the comforter.

  “Not Ryker, and I’m not leaving,” said a female voice.

  What the…?

  When the night before rushed through my mind, I bolted upright in the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I searched out the intruder through the low lighting from the bedside table lamp. Ryker’s guest room was decorated with the same rustic décor as the rest of the house in deep colors and light farmhouse woods. In the center of it all stood Lexi.

  “Lexi! What are you doing here?” I asked, yawning.

  Pulling the covers off me, she ignored my question as her voice teased, “I am lovin’ the silk cheekies.”

  I yelped, grabbing for the blankets as the morning chill raked my skin like fingernails.

  “Seriously, Lexi?” I nearly shouted, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, then hugged myself. “It’s freezing in here.”

  Lexi giggled. “Then you better get up and put some clothes on.” With that she left the room, taking my blanket with her. I glared after her then huffed, climbing from the queen-sized bed in search of a bathrobe. I wrapped the soft fabric around myself thinking about what could be so important that Lexi had me up and awake at five a.m. She hadn’t sounded as if it were life threatening which made me relax a little. Deciding she better have a good reason, I made my way downstairs.

  I found Lexi in the kitchen sitting on a bar stool while Ryker stood over the stainless-steel stove. Something sizzled on one of the burners.

  “Ah, you’re up!” Lexi exclaimed. “Ryker is making us breakfast!”

  “I can see that,” I said, stretching my arms wide. “You had better have a good reason for waking me up so early.”

  “We’re going shopping, of course!” Lexi looked at me as if I should have already known this. “It’s Black Friday!”

  “Ugh. I avoid this day like the plague.” I slid into the seat next to Lexi. Ryker handed me a fresh cup of coffee, and I offered him a grateful smile. The tension from last night was gone—for now. “Actually, I avoid everything to do with the holidays.”

  “Not anymore,” she informed me. “You’re not allowed to be my friend and Ms. Scrooge at the same time. I won’t allow it.”

  “Why so early?” I asked.

  Lexi snorted, “Because we have to be there early to get the deals, and it’s like an hour drive away.”

  “Is it safe to go out today after what happened?” I asked, turning my attention to Ryker.

  “It’s safe enough. You handled yourself pretty good last night, and I’m here. Though I’d feel better if we didn’t go.”

  “Only because you don’t like shopping,” Lexi retorted, and Ryker rolled his eyes. Then she turned back to me. “And it’ll be daylight in just a few hours, anyway.”

  I rubbed my face and rested my chin in my palms as I glanced at Ryker. “Are those pancakes?” I asked, changing the subject rather than argue with a determined Lexi.

  “Yep,” Ryker said.

  Lexi grinned victoriously while Ryker continued flipping the hotcakes in a skillet—a sight I never thought I’d see.

  “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “Occasionally,” he admitted.

  “Don’t let him fool you,” Lexi squealed, far too happy for this time of morning. “He secretly loves the holidays and the cooking that comes with it.”

  “No,” Ryker cut in. “I’m simply here as an escort since you absolutely refuse to stay home where it’s safe.”

  Lexi raised a brow before turning back to me. “You need to go upstairs and get dressed, because you’re going with us.”

  In that moment, it was all too easy to see the relation between her and Ryker.

  “Fine,” I said. “But only because I’m your friend, and that’s what you do for friends.” I got up from my stool with a huff. “Not because I want to.” I narrowed my eyes before grabbing my coffee cup and heading toward the stairs.

  “Oh, hey, Seth stopped by last night. While you were asleep, I ran over and grabbed some of your clothes,” Ryker said over his shoulder. “They’re in a duffle bag in your room.”

  My lips lifted. “Thanks,” I said nervously, not quite sure how I felt about Ryker going through my clothes.

  True to his word, a pink duffle bag was on the window seat in the guest room. I hadn’t even noticed it earlier. Probably due to being dazed from waking before dawn. I checked it and found it full of my clothes. How long did he plan on me staying here?

  I thought about last night and everything from the pack princess Yasmin to Ryker’s worrying over me. I knew why he couldn’t be with me, but all the signals he sent said he wanted to be—all of it frustrated me. Anger simmered in my chest, and I pressed my lips together.

  I dressed quickly, not paying much attention to what I put on, as I was still adjusting to the fact that I was awake at five in the morning with plans of Christmas shopping. Satisfied that I was at least warm, I made my way back downstairs to meet Lexi at the dining room table where Ryker was setting out plates with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. The smell was amazing.

  I glanced over to see Lexi already scarfing down her food. She looked up, and Ryker and I both quirked a brow.

  “What? I want to get to the stores,” she said.

  With a quick shake of my head, I took my first bite. “Oh my god,” I moaned. “This is delicious!”

  “I know,” Lexi said between bites.

  I speared another piece and glanced toward Ryker. “Who would have thought?” I said with a laugh. “You can cook.”

  “Thanks,” Ryker said with an almost sarcastic tone to his voice.

  Lexi waved her hands in the air. “Eat guys. Time’s ticking.”

  She finished her plate in minutes. “Come on guys, we got to go,” she said, carrying her plate to the sink.

  I forked in the fluffy bites in a rush, hoping I wouldn’t choke in my haste. When I finished, I stood to take my dirty dishes to the sink, but Ryker stopped me. He took the plate from my hand as Lexi rushed over to me with a coat and scarf.

  “Here, put it on,” she said pushing the items into my hands.

  “Jeez Louise, lady, we’re going,” I said as Lexi shoved my purse at me and pushed me out the door.

  Ryker stopped to lock the door behind us, and I followed him and Lexi to a shiny, black extended cab pickup truck parked in the driveway. Ryker opened the back and passenger doors, gesturing for us to climb in.

  “You have a truck,” I said, with a wide smile and Ryker quirked a brow. Lexi climbed into the back seat, and Ryker shut the door before facing me.

  “Yes…” he said drawing out the word, and I laughed. “It’s cold out here right,” he said waving again toward the passenger side.

  I climbed in and ran my fingers along the shiny dashboard. Ryker slid into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The engine roared to life, purring, and I smiled again. Lexi leaned across the center console, tapping a few buttons on the touchscreen display. Jingle Bells pounded through the speakers.

  I groaned, and she laughed.

  “You’re trying to kill me,” I said.

 
“You survived a legion of vampires out for your blood only to die over a Christmas carol?” Ryker teased.

  His eyes met mine in a soft challenge, and I wrenched my gaze away before he could see the heat creeping into my cheeks.

  “I’ll take the vampires,” I said, pursing my lips.

  I wanted to say that the song wasn’t the only thing that might kill me today. Those golden eyes of Ryker’s always gave me the feeling that they saw everything—and yet somehow managed to pretend the one thing I couldn’t. There was something between us. Ryker just didn’t want to admit what it was. And it was starting to piss me off.

  “Where are we going, anyway?” I asked as Ryker eased out of the neighborhood and headed for the main road.

  “Evergreen City. It’s a small city about an hour away, but it has everything we need,” Lexi said from behind me.

  I twitched my lips to the side as she went back to singing along with the music.

  The hour trip gave my mind ample time to dissect every second from the day before. Everything from Ryker bringing a date to a dinner he’d insisted I attend to the fact that she was a pack princess fishing for a marriage proposal. Then there was his behavior last night.

  He’d made it very clear his worry for me stemmed from a concern for his entire pack—nothing more. The memory soured my mood even more. I twisted my fingers in my lap as I watched the trees go by outside my window. The weight on my chest from the obvious rejection, tightened with every passing mile.

  We reached our destination, and Ryker nestled the truck into a parking spot outside a series of shops. The tall buildings towered above us like a mini New York City. Each store front was already adorned with Christmas lights, holly, and garland. It was a sight straight out of a Hallmark movie. I frowned, climbing from the passenger seat. Lexi was already out, bouncing excitedly. Grabbing my arm, she rushed us over to meet Ryker at the sidewalk.

  “Oh! Where should we go first?” she exclaimed.

  Ryker and I shrugged.

  Lexi didn’t wait for an answer before she took off toward the row of stores. With my arm still linked to hers, I stumbled behind before hurrying to keep up. Ryker followed as we pushed past people crowding the sidewalks. When she stopped in front of a little antique store, Lexi dropped my arm, and I used the minute to straighten myself out.

  “I need coffee first,” I announced, looking around to spot a coffee shop across the way. “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Lexi waved me off as Ryker joined me, easily catching up.

  “You and your coffee,” he said.

  “Vampires have blood. I have coffee,” I said.

  His mouth lifted as if to smile, but it never quite reached his eyes—eyes that weren’t nearly as focused on me as they were on scanning the people around us.

  Ordering two large coffees to go, Ryker and I set off again to catch up with Lexi.

  The next three hours consisted of the three of us going from store to store, shoving past people to get inside the tiny cramped aisles—hour long waits in line with everyone vying for the best deals.

  Finally, I’d had enough.

  “These people are out of their minds,” I said, pushing through a group of shoppers in a desperate attempt to get outside. I took a deep breath, savoring the cold, fresh air that tasted a lot like freedom. When I opened my eyes again Ryker was there, smirking at me knowingly.

  “Walk with me?” Ryker asked.

  I looked from him back to the store, debating between emotional havoc and chaotic shoppers. I threw my hands up in surrender, knowing Lexi would be awhile.

  Side by side, we walked in silence down the snow-covered sidewalk. The sun was finally starting to rise, casting the town in a multitude of fall colors. It was a breathtaking view. Ryker must have been thinking the same thing as he too was looking toward the skyline. After a few minutes, he stopped. I turned to look at him and found a mischievous grin on his face.

  “We’re here,” he said, gesturing to the store behind me. I frowned when I realized what it offered.

  “An ornament store?”

  “Come on, I think you’re gonna like it,” he said, holding the door open for me. Reluctantly, I gave in.

  Just inside the door, I halted and gasped, bringing a hand to my chest. Despite my distaste for Christmas, even I had to admit the tiny store was a sight to behold. Ornaments of all different kinds hung throughout the store. Each one glistening as multicolored lights danced in the glass orbs. It was so beautiful, I didn’t even mind that White Christmas hummed quietly over the speakers.

  “Every year, I get Lexi an ornament for Christmas.” Ryker’s voice was low. Intimate. “I thought you could help me pick one out.”

  I smiled in spite of myself. “I’d love to.” Slowly, I made my way through the narrow aisles, admiring each piece.

  “Each one is handcrafted,” Ryker informed me, coaxing yet another smile as I pointed to a piece painted in blues and pinks. Ryker wrinkled his nose.

  “Okay, not that one.” I continued on.

  When he held up one shaped like a tear drop covered in gaudy rhinestones I laughed.

  “What, you don’t think it’s her taste?” he teased.

  I shook my head. “Lexi is flashy but not that flashy.”

  We continued through the store, picking up the weirdest ones we could find.

  “Oh, this one,” I said holding up a bright pink and blue spiraled poop pile. Ryker’s laughter filled the room, making it far too easy to lose myself in the moment. The sound was glorious, a rare moment I tucked away in my memory for safe keeping.

  “What is that?” he asked through his laughter.

  I giggled. “Unicorn poop!” I said, and he shook his head with tight lips.

  I put that one back and turned to look at another row when I saw it tucked all the way in the back. The glass snowflake shimmered with layers of glitter, and in the center was a painted scene of two wolves playing in the snow.

  “It’s perfect.” He took the ornament and held it up against the light, admiring the way it shone and sparkled. “Lexi will love it. Thank you.”

  “Sure, I’m happy to help.” I fidgeted under the weight of his gaze. “For Lexi,” I added.

  “For Lexi,” he agreed quietly.

  I waited near the front, strangely sad after the moment we’d just shared, while Ryker paid. All I could think of was Ryker’s worry over me last night and my stomach tightened.

  Taking my arm in his, Ryker ushered us from the store. At his touch, a fire ignited my entire body, heating me despite the cold. My inner wolf whined for more, but I pushed her back down, reminding myself that Ryker wanted someone like Yasmin—a pack princess. Not me. The realization shattered my euphoria and brought me back to reality.

  Cold seeped its way back into my body like a slap across the face. I caught Ryker watching me, and I smiled nervously which only made his eyes narrow. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as Lexi jogged across the street to meet up with us.

  “Oh, good!” she squealed, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two. Come on. There’s more shopping to be done.”

  Ryker and I both nodded, neither of us breaking eye contact with the other. So many emotions washed over me, ending with a longing I couldn’t explain.

  “Well, come on guys,” Lexi shouted, breaking us from our reverie.

  We both turned, following her over the crowded sidewalk.

  For the next few hours, Lexi dragged me from store to store, while Ryker followed dutifully behind us.

  “Oh my god,” I moaned as we left yet another department store. “I think my feet might fall off.”

  Lexi giggled, towing me down the sidewalk as I struggled with an armful of bags. “Just in time. I’m all done.”

  “Thank God.” I sighed with relief as the three of us headed t
oward the parking lot. An entire day of shopping had my entire body and mind exhausted. All around us small groups weaved in and out of stores, down the sidewalks, and across the snow-dusted walkway.

  Ryker’s truck was just a few blocks away, and I scanned for the shiny black truck like it was a beacon calling to my aching feet.

  “Nina,” someone shouted.

  I turned and spotted Jack, Joe’s niece, headed toward us along with another blonde girl at her side. They looked enough alike to be sisters.

  “Hey, Nina. This is Ava,” Jack introduced, and I blinked in recognition.

  “I remember you,” I said. “I ran into you a couple of weeks ago near the bookstore.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right,” Ava said. “You literally ran into me.”

  I wrinkled my face at the memory, then motioned toward Ryker and almost bumped into him before I realized how close he’d gotten. “This is Ryker and his sister Lexi.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Ryker said, his voice tight.

  Lexi repeated his words but in a much more enthusiastic tone.

  “You two Christmas shopping?” I asked.

  The girls bobbed their heads up and down in unison.

  “Jack dragged me along,” Ava said with an eye roll.

  “I know the feeling,” I said, and Lexi poked me then stuck out her tongue.

  One glance at Ryker told me he wasn’t in the mood for teasing. His expression was drawn, and he was pacing the sidewalk behind me.

  “You girls ready to go?” he asked impatiently.

  “Sure,” Lexi said.

  I swiveled back to Jack and Ava apologetically. “We better get going,” I said.

  The two of them agreed and headed the way they’d come. Lexi and I followed Ryker to the truck in silence.

  Lexi’s gaze darted between Ryker and me and she whispered, “What’s his problem?”

  I shrugged, shaking my head and questioning the same thing. Ryker piled our bags into the back seat and helped Lexi climb in. He didn’t look at me as I climbed into the front. Silently, he shut the door and stomped his way to the driver’s side.

  A few minutes later, we were out of the city and trekking down the highway toward home.