by Breezy Jones
“Seriously, Nina!” Ryker suddenly growled at me. “Winter Fae? Really?” He aimed a glare at me before turning his attention to the road.
“Winter what?” I asked.
“What about Winter Fae?” Lexi piped in from behind me.
“What are you doing messing with Winter Fae?” Ryker asked snarling. “I mean Joe was one thing. I let that slide because you claimed he was like family. But now these two girls show up like it’s no big deal? How many of them are there?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, feeling my anger rise.
“Yeah, Ryker, you’re not making any sense,” Lexi added.
Ryker glanced over his shoulder at Lexi, pinning her with a stare then focused front again.
“We’ll discuss this later,” he finally said.
My temper flared and all the tension I’d been shoving down came tumbling out.
“No! You will not bring up something this damn confusing and then refuse to explain—especially after what I went through last night. What the hell has you so pissed off?”
Ryker gave an angry snort and snapped. “Again, we’ll talk about it later.”
“You know,” I shouted. “You can be so… so… ugh…” I was fuming. “So, infuriating sometimes.” With a frustrated huff, I diverted my attention to the scenery out the window, my mind spiraling with questions.
The rest of the drive home we rode in relative silence. The only sound came from the Christmas music playing softly over the radio. At some point I must have fallen asleep as I was suddenly shaken awake.
Quickly, I sat up, looking at the empty backseat. We were parked in front of Ryker’s house, and the daylight was beginning to fade around us.
“Where’s Lexi?” I asked.
“Dropped her off at home about five minutes ago,” he replied, then got out of the truck.
I watched as he walked around to my side and opened the door. He offered a hand to help me down, and I took it reluctantly.
He seemed in a better mood now, but I wasn’t giving up on my demands that easily.
“I want answers,” I said, crossing my arms.
He huffed and grabbed what few shopping bags I had from the truck then headed for the house.
I stopped just inside the door, jutting my hip out to the side. I was done being patient.
Ryker said nothing as he set my items on the couch. He turned, his face a hard mask, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I’d had enough of the back and forth and all the games. I wanted what I’d come for—my end of the deal. And I wasn’t going to let him say no.
“The truth,” I said. “About everything. Not just what you think I can handle. I came to you for one thing—answers. So far, you’ve kept more to yourself than you’ve shared, and I’m done waiting around. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll get the information from another pack. One that will be honest with me no matter what. This is your last chance.”
Chapter Nine
I eyed Ryker as I stood with my hands on my hips and my feet planted.
“You’re right,” Ryker said finally, and I blinked in surprise.
Part of me hadn’t really expected him to give in.
“I’ll tell you everything. But first… You really don’t know about Winter Fae?” Ryker asked with a sigh. The lines on his face pulled down making him look exhausted.
I shook my head. “I’ve never heard of them.”
Ryker stared at me hard, and I glared back with my chin lifted.
“Winter Fae can be a part of some old magic. Dangerous magic,” he said, making his way through the house toward the kitchen.
I followed behind him and said, “That doesn’t tell me anything.”
“Winter Fae, or Winter fairies wield the magic of winter. Snow, ice, frost.”
I flicked my gaze around the kitchen then to him, “But how does that make them dangerous?”
“Because they’re powerful, and the council doesn’t like anyone with that kind of power.” Ryker pulled a beer from the fridge before pivoting to face me. “And you don’t want to cross the council any more than you would the government.”
My gaze darted around the room as he continued, “I don’t want you hanging out with that Jack girl or her friend.”
“What!” I exclaimed. “Who do you think you are?” My anger returned with a vengeance. “You don’t get to tell me who I can and cannot hang out with.”
Ryker’s gaze was level, direct, and seemed to bore into me.
“You don’t understand,” he said finally. “Winter Fae are nothing to play with. And the last thing you want is to get on the council’s bad side.”
I glared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He didn’t.
“Fine,” I replied finally. “I’ll take it into consideration.”
I moved around him to lean against the counter.
“Joe’s never said anything about any of this?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“How would Joe know?” I challenged, taking a step forward ready to defend my friend.
Ryker ran a hand through his long hair, his eyes shifting from the floor to the door to the wall—everywhere but on me. I braced myself for what could possibly make him so nervous after everything he’d just shared.
“You really don’t know?” he asked. “You can’t smell it on him?”
“Smell what? You’re making zero sense right now. What’s going on?” I said.
“He’s Winter Fae,” Ryker said in a low voice. His brows knitted together pulling his mouth into a deeper frown. “I assumed he would have told you about it since he knows about you.”
“No,” I insisted, shaking my head. “That can’t be right. Joe would have told me.” But all I could think about was the wispy tendrils I’d seen him wield against the vampires the other night. The way they’d shattered when they’d dropped.
“You really can’t smell it?” Ryker asked again.
“I mean he smelled funny the other day, but I just thought it was his cologne.” I paced around the kitchen, my mind racing now. Joe had always had a strange smell, but I’d always assumed it was just him—or maybe my wolf senses were just being weird. He’d never given me any other sign that he wasn’t human.
And if Joe was Winter Fae that meant Jack and Ava were too.
“Yes, well…” Ryker’s lips quirked wryly. “He was wearing a lot of cologne.”
“Why would he do that?”
Ryker’s brows rose. “My guess was to hide his scent from you.”
“And Thanksgiving…” I trailed off, thinking about the dead vampires again. “I saw ice shoot from his hands.”
Ryker’s frown deepened. “He wields ice and snow, Nina. His power is that he can freeze people.”
Suddenly, all I could see was red. I marched over to Ryker and shoved my index finger into his muscular chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I exclaimed.
Ryker flinched and replied, “It wasn’t my place to tell you. It was Joe’s. At least before I saw Jack and Ava. I thought you’d been lying to me.”
“Well, you still should have told me,” I said with a huff. “I came to you for answers, not more lies and secrets.”
My mind raged as I continued my frenetic ambling. Finally, Ryker placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and my steps froze.
“I almost told you the day we went running together, but then you freaked out so much about the idea of having killed someone that I couldn’t. Besides, I still had some theories to work out first.”
My eyebrows jacked. “What kind of theories?”
“You remember when we first met?”
I glanced at him, tilting my head to the side.
“I told you your scent had been masked?”
I lifted my shoulders. “By magic,” I breath
ed out and this time Ryker was the one to nod.
“I think Joe was using his winter magic to shield you, to protect you from the rest of the supernatural world. But I couldn’t be sure, not until Thanksgiving.”
“Wait. But if he’s using his magic to shield me, how did those vamps even know where to find us?” I asked.
“Even with your scent masked people were bound to find you eventually, just like I did. If they knew what to look for.”
I sighed, letting the information sink in.
“How would vampires know what to look for?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself, uncomfortable with the thought. “I thought they were mindless blood junkies, why would they even want me?”
Ryker downed a sip of his beer, his shoulders tight. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
I blew the air out between my teeth, letting the quiet pour out between us as I tried to figure out what a vampire would want with me.
I glanced out the window at the moon briefly and then back to Ryker. “It’s almost a full moon,” I said, rubbing my temple to ease the tension in my head.
“Have you thought about the change?” Ryker asked. “About where you’ll run?”
I hadn’t thought about it much, with everything going on. I shrugged and embraced myself again. Digging a toe into the hardwood floor, I reminded him, “I’ve always chained myself up on a full
“You don’t have to do that, anymore.”
“I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
Ryker features softened. His footsteps were light as he closed the distance between us and placed his hands on my shoulders. “You’re not going to hurt anyone. Werewolves are in control when they shift. You won’t kill out of instinct or bloodlust, not like vampires.”
I averted my gaze unable to meet his eyes.
He continued, “You don’t normally have the urge to kill do you?”
I gazed at the floor for a moment and muttered, “No.”
“It must have been scary for you, shifting and not really knowing what was happening or what would happen.” Ryker tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I’ll show you how to run with the pack and to shift faster. I promise you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone. Ever.”
“You’re sure?”
Ryker smiled, a full genuine smile, as he made an x across his chest. “Cross my heart.”
I exhaled loudly. “Okay.”
He leaned down, closing the short distance between us. Electricity sparked under my skin as I gazed into his golden eyes. Fire burned behind them, and I could swear I felt the heat of their flames. But I held back, bracing myself for that moment when he’d pull away—just like he had all the times before.
Then his lips covered mine.
Not innocently, like a tease, but hot, fiery, passionate—and demanding. Surprise registered, shocking me into stillness, and then my own desire kicked in and my arms went around his neck, pulling him in as I pressed my body against his. Kissing Ryker was a whole body experience. Within seconds, all my senses had been seduced, and I could no longer think straight.
“Nina,” he whispered against my lips, prolonging each letter as if to savor them.
I smiled against his mouth, my heart fluttering at his voice as I brought both hands up to cup his face. Never before had my name ever sounded so wonderful coming from his lips.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he added. His eyes held mine, lingering on my lips a second longer than necessary.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“What about Yasmin?” I asked suddenly as my brain cleared from the fog of his kiss. I dropped my hands from his face, and we both took a step back.
He raised an eyebrow. “What about her?” he asked.
I peeked at him through veiled lashes. “Aren’t the two of you, like, a thing?”
Ryker pressed his hand to my cheek as his eyes bore into mine. “No. Yasmin and I are absolutely nothing. Nina… What I feel for you… I can’t—”
“Can’t what?” I whispered.
His eyes smoldered as they locked with mine. “I’ve wanted to kiss you a hundred times, even started to a few times. I can’t stop thinking about you, but I can’t ignore my duty as alpha.” He paused. “I’ve tried to stay away from you, but I can’t do it anymore.”
“Then don’t,” I said.
Ryker brushed a thumb over my bottom lip, and I couldn’t suppress the shiver of desire that swept over me.
“I’m not going to,” he said.
Ryker claimed my mouth again with a kiss so soft and gentle my knees threatened to buckle. Sadly, it was a brief moment as he dragged his lips from mine.
“But we need to do this right.”
My eyebrows crinkled in confusion, lips parting as I readied to ask what he meant, but I didn’t get the chance.
A loud pop cut me off. I jumped as a puff of blue smoke filled the kitchen. It grew thicker, and I coughed. Slowly, it dispersed despite my frantic hand waving. In its place stood a man with smooth, dark skin dressed in a tailored black suit. His eyes were sharp and quick as he took in his surroundings—and the two of us.
“Ah, Ryker, there you are,” the man said. His voice was friendly with a teasing edge.
“What the hell do you want? You don’t have permission to be here,” Ryker snapped.
I stared between the two men, wondering why Ryker wasn’t attacking. This man had the swagger of someone I didn’t even want to lock eyes with, let alone hang out with in the kitchen. A knot formed in my stomach.
“I have the information you wanted.” The man smiled stiffly. Not the gentle grin of a friend, but the victorious smirk of an enemy after winning a battle.
I shifted uncomfortably.
“Get on with it, djinn,” Ryker growled.
“Oh, you are too serious sometimes,” the man said before turning his attention toward me. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “Is this her? The she-wolf? So exciting!”
I stiffened, jutting out my chin and pursing my lips.
He closed the distance between us and grasped my hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. Ryker growled lowly across from me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lorenzo, but my friends call me Enzo.”
I squinted my eyes, the hair at the nape of my neck standing on end. “You’re a genie, one of the council?” I said.
He shook his head with a grimace as he let go of my hand.
“No… dearie, djinn, not genie. I’m not a Disney character. I am an all-powerful djinn. A member of the supernatural council that governs your kind. Most call me sir or even master, but you may call me Enzo.” He bowed lavishly.
I almost snorted but held it in as Ryker’s answering grunt was clear about his opinion of Enzo’s preferred titles.
“Enzo!” He snarled. “The information?”
“Oh, of course I have it,” he said, pouting. “You just take all the fun out of it.”
In a flourish, Enzo stood on the other side of the counter next to Ryker. The djinn whipped a piece of paper out of thin air and handed it over. “So impatient,” he teased, sparing a wink in my direction.
With Ryker’s attention focused on the paper, suddenly Enzo was in front of me again. My back tensed. What was this guy’s game, anyway?
“So, dearie, tell me, who did you kill?” he asked, completely enthralled as he folded his arms, leaning closer toward me.
Uncomfortable, I ground my teeth together. “That’s none of your business!”
“Enzo…” Ryker warned.
The djinn chuckled, but his eyes shot daggers toward Ryker that said he was anything but happy. “Just curiosity, my dear.”
Finished reading the paper Enzo had handed him, Ryker wedged his wa
y between the djinn and me.
“What is this?” Ryker asked, holding up the piece of paper. “This tells me nothing.”
Enzo glared sternly. “It says…” He drew out the words as if having to say them at all annoyed him. “The vampires were under some sort of control.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Ryker grunted, pinning Enzo with a stare that said his patience had run out.
“Someone used a spell to control them which means they were after something or someone, and all signs point to Nina. They have no memory now, of course, and they never went back to each other. Most likely whoever sent them was prepared in case they didn’t succeed,” Enzo said with a bored tone, but his slitted eyes told me he wasn’t happy.
“You’re sure they were after me?” I asked nervously. Although we’d already been pretty sure of that fact, hearing it made my stomach quiver.
Enzo eyed me with a raised brow, “Yes, dearie, quite sure.”
“That’s pretty extreme,” Ryker said, rubbing his fingers across his chin in thought. “They don’t plan on giving up so easily.”
Enzo smiled mischievously. “No, I don’t believe they will.”
“And we have no idea who’s behind this?” I asked, earning a jack brow and lip from Enzo. Was there more he wasn’t saying?
“The vampires had no memory of what happened to them, which means whoever spelled them didn’t do it up close and personal.” Enzo replied.
Rolling my eyes, I placed my hands on my hips and asked,
“How would you know that?”
Enzo’s mouth twisted before he winked and said,
“I used magic to view their memories, of course.”
Ryker turned his back on us while I bowed my head slowly and said, “Oh.”
“If that will be all…” Enzo said with pursed lips.
Ryker nodded once. “Fine,” he said in a low voice. “Go on.”
The clear dismissal didn’t seem to bother Enzo much as he harrumphed impatiently and waved his hand dismissively. In a puff of smoke he disappeared, and Ryker relaxed.
“Damn genies,” Ryker growled under his breath, making his way back around the island.