Dark energy of chaos and other things pooled around Ryder’s feet like a heavy mist, and he could feel people’s horror as they looked at him.
He could sense Kira behind him, watching him too.
He didn’t care about other people’s opinions. He’d shed that the day he knew he was different. Alone. Discarded.
But Kira? He cared about what she thought, and now she knew what he really was.
He’d just have to live with the consequences.
7
Kira’s heart was still racing in her chest when more guards arrived to apprehend the light fae and take him away. By then, Ryder had already shifted back into his human form, and the two of them had been shuttled into a small office near the security wing of the building where they’d be alone to wait for more info.
And also figure out exactly what had happened.
The entire time, Ryder’s expression had been dark, and they finally both took a seat on a bench a few feet from each other. He hadn’t said a word, merely moved with an odd intensity about him.
What Ryder didn’t know was that she’d seen him shift before, each of his forms unique and different and utterly unlike anything that existed in the universe.
And he was… magnificent.
There was a knock at the door, and someone poked in to say, “He’ll be here in a minute,” before leaving them both again in the room filled with secrets and silence.
It still rattled Kira to think the light fae were after her now. She’d heard whispers, seen the rage in the eyes of her old captors and cohorts when she’d offered up her services to the shifters here on Earth.
But watching her old associate, a fae she barely knew but that had recognized her instantly, go straight after her with the sort of murderous intent one might expect from an assassin, made her bones go cold.
She was just glad Ryder had been there.
Kira looked over at the big, stoic man who was leaning forward, hands clasped in front of him, elbows resting on his knees, looking straight ahead as if to ignore the world around him. His singed auburn hair was still damp with sweat.
She’d seen him like this in the lab after bad chaos sessions. Though, it was odd to think of him being the same Ryder both then and now.
Kira scooted closer to him on the bench, shuffling nervously as the tension grew so thick it was suffocating.
“I didn’t get a chance to say so earlier, but thank you,” Kira said softly, summoning her magic from deep within her. A feeling of warmth spread through her from head to toe, and she focused and sent that magic into the room.
It was the least she could do as a radiant fae.
Ryder grunted, stone-faced.
“I’m not really sure what to say right now, but I’m just really grateful you saved us.” She grinned. “You were pretty awesome.” She slid a little closer, bringing them only a foot apart.
Ryder tensed, then relaxed slightly. Then he scoffed, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up in every direction. The black on the tips extended farther than before, though Kira knew the effect would wear off in a few days when the chaos abated.
“You mean horrible?” He still didn’t meet her eyes.
She scooted the last little bit, putting a hand on his back, the touch still electric after all this time, even more so after the things they’d been through together the past few days. “No, I meant what I said. You just jumped into action, used your abilities to protect me and everyone else here faster and better than anyone else could have.”
“Hm,” he said.
She sighed. “No one asked you to put your life on the line like that. It was very noble.”
He finally looked over at her, their eyes level with each other as he hunched forward. She could see the yellow-orange at the center of his green irises as they glowed, exotic and unique and full of self-loathing.
“You must think I’m a monster,” he said. “My true form…”
She shook her head, hand stroking lightly over the taut muscles of his back, trying to soothe him. “No. The only monster back there was that light fae. You were amazing. Are amazing.”
Ryder turned to her fully. “How can you say that? I heard what people were saying, their thoughts. I’m a dragon, after all. They were scared. Terrified.” He looked back at the wall. “They should be.”
Kira stood and walked in front of him, putting herself between his legs and leaning down so they were face to face. She put a hand up to cup his cheek, stroking the stubble there gently. God, it just felt so right. “I’m not scared. Read my mind right now if you need to see that.”
Ryder’s brow furrowed, but then he nodded. And though Kira carefully kept her mind clear of all memories of their past, she made sure all of the care and awe she felt for him was still there in her mind.
And when his eyes finally relaxed, she smiled at him.
The smile he returned was simply everything, melting her straight to her core.
“Do you believe me now?” she asked. “Because—”
She was cut off as Ryder leaned forward and his lips brushed over hers, the touch light, the contact erotic as instant heat coursed through her body like a long-dead flame being ignited once again. But just as she sank into it, Ryder pulled away, his gaze stormy and aroused.
His voice was low, husky. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
It was her turn to cut him off as she reached both hands to grab his face and kissed him back, unable to stop at just a taste when she’d wanted him for so long.
Missed him for so long.
And would never be able to tell him.
For a moment, Ryder didn’t seem to know what to do as their lips enmeshed. But then she felt his rough palm hold the back of her neck, his fingers threading through her hair, his lips urging hers to open so he could go deeper. She opened with a moan, and his tongue delved in, slowly exploring and testing and pleasuring.
She could do this for hours. All day. Forever even, though it seemed the chips were already stacked against them by his memory loss.
But for just a moment, it felt good to just be here with Ryder, doing the one thing they’d never been able to do before. Something she’d pictured a million times in her dreams.
After a moment, they both pulled away, and Kira took a deep breath, not realizing she’d been holding it for so long.
“What was that for?” she asked, the air in the room feeling hotter.
“I could ask you the same thing. I did it because I wanted to.”
“It’s just a little surprising considering how you felt about me when you first met me.”
When I first saw you again.
He chuckled, the low sound reverberating in her chest, making her hungry for more. “Yeah, well, a lot can change in a few days I guess.”
“So it can…”
The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the hall interrupted the moment between them, and Kira sat back down on the bench next to Ryder, grateful for every second of pleasure and connection they’d shared.
The door swung open, and a familiar figured strode in.
“Sorry for the wait,” Taylor said, his long dark hair pulled into a man bun, his usually trim beard a little bushier than when Kira had seen him last. His office uniform, a dark shirt and pressed slacks, always seemed ill-fitting on the towering, easygoing head of security for the Shifter Reclamation Program.
“No problem,” Kira replied as Taylor came over and offered a hand to Ryder.
Ryder got up, both of them standing at about equal height, and Ryder appraised him curiously.
“I’m Taylor. You must be the guy who saved our bacon just now. I appreciate that.”
Ryder shook Taylor’s hand, then sat again as Taylor walked over to take his seat at the desk in the room.
“Taylor’s a dragon-fae hybrid too,” Kira offered helpfully, and Ryder raised a brow.
“That’s why they have me running security. Need to be able to deal with all sorts of fun new threats t
hese days,” Taylor replied, grinning.
“How’s Mindy?” Kira couldn’t help asking as she stalled, afraid to talk again about the light fae that had tried to murder her.
“She’s in the medical wing, as usual. The kids there love her, and she’s always trying out new tunes on them.” He beamed while he shuffled some papers in front of him.
“So what happened?” Ryder asked, folding his arms and sitting back against the wall. Kira couldn’t help but notice that he leaned into her slightly, his big arm brushing her side.
“Straight to the point. I like it,” Taylor replied with that easy, calm nature that belied the fierce power he always held back.
The kind of power only men like him and Ryder could possibly comprehend.
Only, Kira knew exactly what Ryder was capable of, far beyond what anyone could guess.
“We’ve got our newest interrogator working that light fae over, and from what we can tell, he was sent here after you, Kira,” Taylor said gravely.
Kira gulped.
“How could you let that happen? After all, aren’t you in charge of security?” Ryder asked, his voice rising.
“I wasn’t the one who brought him in. He surrendered himself to one of our agents, offered full cooperation in exchange for protection. Nobody thought he was a danger.” Taylor leaned back, folding his arms and mirroring Ryder. The sight would have been slightly comical, two huge men like that, if not for the seriousness of the situation. “I can assure you if I had met him in person, I wouldn’t have allowed him to walk in the front door. And it definitely won’t happen again, not on my watch.”
Ryder huffed, acting overprotective as he muttered to himself, something along the lines of, “I should’ve just ended him back there,” but Taylor ignored it.
Instead, Taylor turned back to Kira. “We’re still getting more info, but in the meantime, I’m not sure you should proceed with your mission.”
“I knew from the get-go it might not be safe. That’s why I have Ryder here with me,” she said, tapping Ryder’s big shoulder. And if she wasn’t mistaken, Ryder almost grinned with satisfaction before looking away and pretending he hadn’t looked so pleased with himself.
Taylor shook his head, a few loose strands of hair waving around his face. “I’m not sure. Golems are one thing. Fae are a whole different problem.”
“The light fae know I’m helping the program, but that doesn’t mean they know what we’re up to. By the time they figure it out, we should have all of their labs in this area shut down, which will seriously hinder their progress.”
Taylor just slanted a smile and looked from her to Ryder, tapping one finger on the table in front of him. “I guess there’s no stopping you, huh?”
“No, we’re a team,” Ryder said with a cocky grin.
Kira wanted to bark a laugh, seeing Ryder say that with her there, if not for the deep happiness she felt inside to hear how he felt about her.
At least in regard to their mission.
“Okay,” Taylor said with a nod. “Just keep me updated. If either of you gets a whiff of anything you can’t handle, contact me immediately. I know this job’s important, but both of you are more important to us than any info you might find.”
Ryder stood, arms still folded. “There isn’t anything I can’t handle.”
And when Kira stood next to him, the grin Ryder gave her almost made her legs buckle all over again.
“With a radiant fae and a dragon-fae hybrid working together, I wouldn’t doubt that for a second,” Taylor replied, standing too and getting the door for them. “So it’s off to your next location?”
Kira and Ryder nodded in unison, then shared a warm look before Ryder turned to leave, Kira following right behind him.
“Well, as humans say, go kick some ass,” Taylor said from behind them.
“We intend to,” Ryder replied over his shoulder.
8
“How much farther?” Ryder asked, peering into the dark night lit only by the lights of their vehicle. The blackness surrounding them on all sides was both eerie and comforting.
Everywhere Kira had gone in the fae world had been brightly lit at practically all times of the day. It was odd knowing there were places you could go in the human world where not a living soul seemed to be.
“It’s still a couple hours more,” Kira said, trying to hold back a yawn but failing.
Ryder looked over at her. “We should stop.”
“No, I’m fine.”
He shook his head. “Just because we got held up at the SRP later than we imagined, doesn’t mean we should go into our next mission exhausted from the trip.”
“That and the stupid road construction a few hours ago.” She groaned, looking out the window.
Ryder grunted in agreement.
Then again, she thought to herself, glancing over at Ryder, the darkness casting stark shadows over his cut, masculine features, the view isn’t too bad.
“Regardless, we’re better off resting up so we can have our strength. No telling what we’ll find in this next facility, especially because you said this one is larger, right?” Ryder said, palming the wheel with one hand while he gestured with the other.
“You’re right,” she admitted.
Conveniently, up ahead, she saw a faint yellow glow appear. And as they drove on, they reached what looked to be another small town like the dozens they had already passed on their way here. A quaint main street was lit with wrought iron lamps. A hotel and several restaurants greeted them on both sides, the town quiet and seemingly lifeless at this time of night.
“Perfect,” Ryder said, pulling into the drive of a small two-story building that simply said “MOTEL” in the front, along with “FREE WI-FI.”
Ryder parked and got out, grabbing their backpacks out of the trunk. They’d both packed an overnight bag this morning, anticipating the mission would take two days of travel, though she’d hoped to have reached the lab before sundown.
Staying at a hotel… with Ryder. The idea was dangerous.
Because even though she’d promised to keep the past buried and learn to accept this new Ryder for everything he was, the lines were getting more blurred.
Especially after the kiss they’d shared.
Ryder strode ahead, cracking his neck from side to side, the little pops making the hairs on the back of Kira’s neck stand on end.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yup, just a little stiff from the drive.” He opened the front door, which dinged with a little bell, and they both went inside.
“I offered to switch spots with you halfway,” she said, the scent of old carpet and wood wafting over her as they came up to an empty desk.
“After the morning you had, I wanted you to be able to take a load off, just relax. You’re already doing so much for everyone,” he replied, looking down at her with a soft expression in his eyes that made her chest go tight.
Don’t make it impossible to resist you, Ryder.
“That’s really thoughtful, thank you,” was all she said.
Ryder nodded and peered over the desk. There was a small bell, and he tapped his hand on the little button on the top.
The metal object let out a horrid clang as his hand smashed the top of it, warping the metal cap like a squashed donut.
“Oops,” Ryder said, looking at his hand, then the partly flattened bell. “I thought it was sturdier.”
Honestly, Kira was surprised he didn’t break a lot more things in his day-to-day life. She was astonished how well he’d learned to control his strength compared to… back then.
“What the hell is going on?” A young man with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes appeared from around a corner behind the desk. When he looked up at Ryder, then down at her, his consternation only ebbed slightly.
“We need lodging. Also, to pay for this,” Ryder said, sliding the broken bell forward.
The young man looked down and let out an incredulous pfft sound, glancing at Ryder. “
That’s amazing. Damn, you’re swole.”
“Swollen? With what?”
The attendant just barked out a laugh, then began to click buttons on the aged keyboard in front of him. “I like you, dude. You’re funny. And don’t worry about the bell. I’ve been begging the owner to get a new one forever. Something that isn’t so… metal-sounding.”
Ryder shrugged.
They arranged for a room, paying with cash since that seemed to be the most clandestine way humans got around, and in no time at all, they were heading to the second floor to their appointed room.
“What did he mean swole?” Kira asked Ryder as he slid their card into the slot.
“I don’t know,” Ryder said, unlocking the door to let them in. Then he pulled out his phone and typed something into it. “Ah, it means, well… Basically, it means I’m very muscled.”
Kira felt herself flush. “Ah, yes, that makes sense.”
Damn, things were awkward between them.
They walked into the room, sizing it up as Ryder closed the door behind him.
The whole place was brown. Brownish-orange carpet, brown fake wood-paneled walls, brown bedding.
Ryder looked at the single bed in the middle of the room and frowned. “I told him two beds.”
Kira’s heart sped up a little. Just the idea of sharing a bed with her Ryder, the one man she wanted, sent her head running wild with fantasies she had no business having.
“If you want, we can go back and get a new room,” she offered.
Ryder shook his head, setting aside their backpacks. “No, I’d rather not delay us getting some rest. Besides, it doesn’t bother me. What about you?” The slight orange glow to his eyes as they met hers made Kira’s toes tingle.
She shook her head emphatically. “Nope. No problem.” She hoped it was convincing.
“Good. I’m going to turn in, then,” he said, checking the locks on the door before moving into the middle of the room.
Maybe she could do this. Maybe she could stay professional and not think about the fact that the sexiest man in the world was sleeping in the same bed as her.
Dragon Redeemed (Reclaimed Dragons Book 2) Page 5