by Morgan Wylie
A twitch of his lip indicated his amusement, but there was an uncertainty that crossed his eyes. “I’m part cat, remember? Does it bother you?” He took a step back as she lowered her leg.
“I love it,” she said with a genuine smile and spark in her eyes. “Your beast is alluring, Rylen. As are you.” She crossed her arms at her waist, gripping her shirt and began to pull it up over her head.
He inhaled sharply and moved forward to touch her bare waist as she continued to raise her shirt all the way off… almost all the way. A loud snore came from the corner of the room.
Like a bucket of ice water dumped on their heads, the inferno of passion was instantly doused at the remembrance that they were not alone in the medical lab. Alana pulled her shirt back over her head and Rylen pulled her close into his chest and whispered into her ear.
“We will have to continue this upstairs in my private quarters,” he laughed light-heartedly.
She too laughed and buried her head into his chest then looked up at him with embarrassment. “He almost got quite the show.”
“I bet he wouldn’t have minded. I know I wouldn’t have,” he replied with a boyish smile and a chuckle. She smacked him playfully on the arm and adjusted her clothing as he did the same.
“Well. Now what?” Alana asked into the quiet room except for the consistent beeping that she had all but forgotten.
“Now we try to sneak upstairs, but more than likely, you meet the rest of the team.”
“I’d like that.”
Rylen took her hand and led her out of the medical lab.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Rylen and Alana got stopped multiple times on their way through the Lair. Sighing, Rylen realized he needed to call a formal debriefing so they could all talk at once and he’d not have to repeat himself every time they were stopped by someone. He started with his inner circle. They all sat comfortably on the couches in the Den while some even stood or leaned behind them casually on stools. Alana sat right beside Rylen. If anyone was shocked by it, they didn’t make it known. Rylen was pretty sure they had already talked about the situation or at least presumed it while he was waiting for Alana to wake up. He only left her side when absolutely necessary—debriefing Poppy on everything she could remember while a prisoner and the call to Black Widow that he had to take explaining to her why the leader of the alliance got away. That she was not happy was an understatement. Rylen was grateful that they were separated by technology, but regretful for whomever bore the brunt of her ire. Black Widow was, however, pleased that they seemed to uncover more of his plan and why he needed magic users. When Arturo divulged that information he must have been certain that those he had held captive wouldn’t have escaped alive when his men fought Enock and Mather. He underestimated them, but wouldn’t again in the future.
Rylen banged his hand on a table to get everyone’s attention. Immediate silence ensued.
“I would like to make an official claim. This is Alana Krestle—magic user of what we do not yet know—and my mate.” A blush heated Alana’s cheeks at the proclamation. A few hoots and hollers came from Enock, head nodding from most the others, and actual clapping from Gracie—who obviously had been waiting for this moment. Lola seemed hesitant but accepting, Vi too, but oddly Mai scowled in disapproval.
“This seems awfully fast, Rylen. What do you even know of her? And she’s from the Fairfax group! How can we trust her?” Mai spat in an uncharacteristic outburst. Rylen frowned, about to say something, when Lucius cut across the room inhumanly fast directly in front of her face.
“We trust her because our leader trusts her. No questions asked. That is enough.”
Mai had enough sense about her to back down from Luc’s unspoken challenge and nodded her head in acquiescence, but under breath after Luc backed off she muttered to herself, “But is it?”
“Thank you, Lucius.” Rylen nodded at his loyal friend.
Lola, sitting next to Mai and with excellent hearing, shot her a glare, searching for the trouble she was having and frowned. She would have to ask her what was up her butt later after the meeting.
Each had taken a turn—even if she had met them before—and introduced themselves: what they did around the Lair, what kind of magic or supernatural abilities they had, etc. except for Enock. She remembered him quite well from her stint in the “guest suite,” aka the dungeon. They all seemed welcoming for the most part, even Lola who originally had reservations—or down right objections—to Alana being in their Lair. Alana could still feel a slight air of hesitation on the part of the others. But it was to be expected. She was from the enemy’s camp. The only thing that could change that was time and proven loyalty to their members. It helped that she herself was actually “one of them” now that she discovered she had some magic, but that was going to take some time to figure out as well.
When the meeting had concluded, Alana yawned and leaned into Rylen. “I think I need to process all that has happened. Is there a room I could freshen up and be by myself in for a little bit?”
Rylen placed his hand on her knee. It felt natural and every time he touched her his beast rumbled appreciatively. “Yes. I’ll show you to one.” He stood up, taking her hand. His gaze wandered across his people—his family—and it warmed his heart to add Alana to their midst… and yet something was tugging at his mind, screaming for him to pay attention. “I need some time to think on some things as well,” he told Alana. To everyone else he said, “Thanks family. Go your own way for the time being, but stay close. Dismissed.”
Alana retreated to the room Rylen gave to her in the Lair for her own use. He hoped it was not for too long. He wanted her in his room, sharing his space, sharing his bed. She was his, and he and his beast felt an imminent need to mark her as his own, to claim her in every way. Until then, he needed to meditate, to get lost in a trance where his cat could relay everything it took in that Rylen could have missed in his human form. He was missing something, something that would change everything. Part of him didn’t want to know, but he was not a coward. He would face it and deal with it as the leader of this clan, but also the warrior he was made to be. It took him many years when he was younger to reconcile the part of him that was magic and the part of him that was animal. They worked together, but not at first. An internal struggle constantly playing tug-of-war took residence until he was able to grow into each and pull them together. He did a lot of external damage during that time of his life, outwardly reflecting what he felt internally. Those days were done. He was whole now that he had met Alana. She completed him. She was the other half of his soul.
Standing stoically in front of his large bedroom windows on the top floor of the hotel the Lair resided under, Rylen gazed out, relishing the view that gave him the greatest sense of calm. Seeing the ocean, hearing its waves crash upon the rocks of the coast, soothed his soul. The natural habitat for his cat would have been more jungle than ocean, but his feline had sulkily accepted this as its home for now, though he knew it longed to run free high in the trees of the jungle. He would escape to the higher altitudes of the Cascade Mountains of his area and that would pacify the beast for the time, but it was biding its time. Perhaps when everything with the Lair was settled, he would take Alana on an extended trip to see the jungle. He doubted she had ever been there. He would show her his whole world.
Focusing on the world beyond him and his current issues, he slowed his breathing and calmed his beating heart. Rylen closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his breathing and matched it with the hypnotic rhythms of the in and out of the growing tide. His body began to relax at the familiar routine, over his long years this was something that soothed him and brought him peace of mind when he was working through particularly challenging thoughts. Soon his mind brought forth images, images from the beginning of when all the trouble at the Lair began happening. His mind filtered quickly through all the mundane and the unimportant like a computer searching files. His only issue was that he could only medit
ate on situations he was actually a part of, except that his magic had taught him a trick or two. He was able to access memories of another that were given to him. Earlier that day, Enock had shared his memory of the encounter they had with the Fairfax Alliance when they freed Poppy and the others so he was able to see everything that E had seen or heard. Everything within him was screaming that they had been set up. It all happened too systematically like they knew his steps just before he arrived at them. He had a mole to deal with, but he needed to find out who. Jealousy and revenge would point to Lacy, but something in his gut told him it wasn’t her, but he would question her anyway. A few things bothered him about Alana’s situation. Like why she didn’t know she had magic. Why her father was so intent on destroying magic when he himself had some and used it to advance his cause. Especially why his brother Simmon was a part of whatever Arturo was doing and how that had happened.
Rylen sighed. No longer in his meditative state and frustrated with the amount of questions without answers, he knew Alana wouldn’t be much help as she hardly knew anything herself. He needed to work with her and find her trigger point to freely let her magic out. She had saved him with a burst of her magic—though he wouldn’t have died anyway, but she didn’t know that—so likely it was triggered through strong emotion. Her magic would have to be strong to break through the amount of years it was subdued as well as whatever enchantments she might have on her to keep it dormant.
He gathered himself and headed to his apartment kitchen to make himself a sandwich and take one to Alana. She had to be hungry. After they ate he would need to make a formal introduction to the Black Widow. She was to be apprised of any new members of each faction of the Web. And especially as his mate, he needed her to be acknowledged. He worried about was where Alana came from. His mission was to destroy the Fairfax Alliance and she had come straight from the heart of it as the leader’s daughter. He feared Black Widow would try and use Alana to gain access to her people. He planned to protect her. How? He wasn’t sure yet, but he would protect her. He had yet a few tricks up his sleeve. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to use them against the Black Widow; she was powerful and would destroy everything he had worked so hard to build. But for Alana he would do it.
The only one he had never introduced her to, or declared an official member, was Gracie. It was amazing that they had been able to hide her as long as they had, but it was important and something Gracie had seen when she first came to the Lair. She would destroy the world, but that was a story for another time.
He took the elevator down in search of Alana, but who he found when the doors opened was a different blonde. Lacy. She seemed startled to see him, but when she saw he carried two sandwiches her brief smile turned to disdain. “Rylen,” she greeted stiffly.
“Lacy. Nice to see you.” Rylen’s attempt at pleasantries was not welcome. Lacy turned her nose up.
“She doesn’t have what you need, Rylen. It won’t last long between you and her. You wait and see. And when it doesn’t, I’ll still be here.” She turned to head the opposite direction she had been going, flinging her hair as she went.
“Lacy. Let’s be civil,” Rylen started.
“She won’t last long, Rylen,” Lacy said with a sing-song voice as she walked away, leaving Rylen with a creepy feeling crawling along his skin.
Rylen took a moment to clear his head from his encounter with Lacy and shake off any residual feelings of ill-will. He would have to shut Lacy’s pettiness down quickly before it got out of hand.
At Alana’s door, he knocked with his foot as he held two plates of food, one in each hand. His animal paced internally, impatient to be near his chosen mate. At first he refuted the claim that was emerging from his being because she was not a shifter, but still his cat was drawn to her and so was he.
“Rylen,” she breathed relief with her words. And not so gently fisted her hand in his shirt and yanked him into her room, closing the door behind him.
“Well, hello!” he chuckled. “I brought you some food in case you were hungry.” Rylen placed the food down on the dresser, one of three pieces of furniture in the room, including the bed. He turned to face her, and instantly she was there, pressing her body close to his and reaching her arms behind his neck pulling him closer within her reach. She looked into his eyes like she hadn’t seen him in years.
“I could get used to greetings like this,” Rylen said as he gently slid some of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.
“I need you, Rylen. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I feel like my skin is crawling and you are my only relief.”
Rylen took her mouth and kissed her passionately. She returned his kiss with her own voracity and need. Tongues tangled and hands roamed, learning every dip and curve of each other’s bodies. Reaching down, Rylen grabbed her ass on his way to her thighs. She moaned in appreciation. He gripped each of her thighs in his strong masculine hands and hoisted her up, turning as he went pushing her against the wall as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Alana broke away from his mouth long enough to draw in much needed air. Rylen took advantage of the opening and moved his mouth down her jawline, kissing and nibbling his way to her ear. He nuzzled the soft sensitive skin there and she gasped in reaction to the sensual experience.
“Is this what it means to be mated?” she asked breathlessly as Rylen moved across her collarbone alternating between licking and nuzzling her skin. He paused in thought to what she asked.
“Actually, it would be if you were a shifter or if we had begun the mating ritual, but neither of those are applicable yet.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m not sure if this is anything more than you just wanting me,” he smiled a devilishly rogue smile that heated her to her core, “I’m not complaining.”
Alana playfully smacked his chest, but stared long at his mouth.
“If you keep staring like you are going to devour me, I won’t be able to control myself.”
“Why do you need to control yourself?” she asked coyly.
“Because unfortunately, we have to introduce you to the leader of the Web.” At the mention of her, their passion began to subside with disappointment from both sides. Rylen released her legs as she slid down the front of his body oh so slowly, torturing what little control he did have left with a seductive smirk letting him know she was aware of what she did to his body.
“I had no idea you were such a little minx.” Rylen kissed the tip of her nose and took a step back from her touch.
Alana sighed. “I honestly didn’t know either. I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone before.”
A growl let loose from his chest. “I don’t want to know that you’ve been with others before me.”
Her eyes shot around the room in sudden nervousness. “Well, I’ve never really been with anyone before. I’ve just kissed a couple guys so I wouldn’t be a complete ninny when it came to kissing.”
Rylen moved forward unable to keep himself from touching her. He tipped her chin toward him so he could see her beautiful blue eyes. “It pleases me to know you haven’t been sexually involved with anyone before me. That means I get every part of you all to myself, never before shared. I get to claim you. Your body and soul will be owned by me and only me.” His eyes lit up and a rumble exuded from his chest… he was purring again.
“I won’t know what to do,” she whispered.
A flare of heat erupted in his eyes. “I will teach you everything you need to know. You will feel like you have never felt before. As your mate, I will cherish and worship every part of your body until I make you scream my name in pleasure.” He moved his head in close to hers. Rylen took in every feature and detail of her face, memorizing it. Leaning his head forward, his tongue darted out and licked her lips in excruciatingly slow carnal movements.
Alana gasped and tried to take in more of him, but he stepped back.
“That’s just cruel,” she pouted. He chuckled and moved toward the food.
“
Eat. Then we will go to meet the Black Widow.”
Alana frowned, all traces of earlier passion abruptly buried under her concern. “I’m afraid.”
“You should be. We all should be, but I’ll be with you. We will make it as quick and painless as possible.” He smiled at her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Outside the door to Headquarters, Rylen stood holding Alana’s hand not quite ready to enter. Alana peered up at him, watching his eyes fill with turmoil. Sensing her gaze, he turned toward her and took both hands in his own.
“Don’t show her your fear. Be strong and answer whatever she asks of you. Can you do that for me?” Rylen implored.
Alana stood tall with her shoulders back, raising her chin in slight defiance. Rylen chuckled.
“That’ll do.”
“Do you plan to tell her who my father is?”
“Yes. She’ll be able to sense if I’m lying straight out. Sometimes there is space to get… creative in how I answer questions.” He winked at her.
“As long as you don’t get creative in how you answer me,” Alana warned. “Everything in my life has been a lie, I need truth from you, Rylen. Can you do that for me?”
“There may be some things that are not mine to tell, but if it is mine to decide, then yes, I can do that for you.”
“I accept that.”
“One more thing,” he began and to which she cocked her eyebrow. “I’m going to remain detached and unaffectionate. The less she knows, the less she can find a weakness in, and use you against, me.”
“Isn’t she your leader, though? Why would she try to find your weaknesses?”
“Because she is paranoid and always on the lookout for any that might be a threat to her. I am, but she also has a purpose for me or she would have disposed of me already. I just don’t want you to be that weakness.”