by Faith Gibson
“I’m sure other kids had it worse. Honestly, I don’t care what happens to him. I stopped loving him a long time ago. Stopped thinking of him as my father the first time he ignored me when we passed on the street. Hated him when he allowed Josiah to take me away from what I loved most – being outside. Not being allowed to go anywhere near the gardens or the woods, that was the worst punishment imaginable for someone like me. It was like taking a bird from the sky and clipping its wings so it couldn’t fly.”
“I have the perfect spot in my backyard for you to grow a garden. You’re welcome to dig up the whole yard if you wish.”
“Really?”
“Really. I know we got off to a rocky start, but I want nothing more than to make you happy. I want to give you back your wings and watch you fly.”
Without thinking about it, Rhi leaned forward and pressed her lips to Ryker’s. It was clumsy and awkward, until Ryker took control. He rolled Rhi to her back, his body sliding over hers seamlessly. Propped on his forearms, Ryker studied her face, his eyes darkening. He covered her mouth with his, angling his head to the side. He didn’t try for more than soft pressure, nor did he use his tongue. It was sweet. Almost too sweet, but she appreciated him going slow.
When he pulled away, Ryker rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m going to do my best to take things slow. I don’t want you to think this is all about sex. Yes, I want you. You’re a beautiful woman, but I want to do this the right way. Get to know you and let you figure out who I am. I want you to be absolutely sure I’m the male you want for the rest of your life, because if I claim you, it will be forever.”
Rhiannon ran her fingers through Ryker’s short beard. He was willing to take things slow for her sake, and that proved to her the type of male he was – honorable. It was a word she’d heard more than once since meeting the Lazlos, and she was coming to learn it applied to all of them. James had called them monsters, but they were anything but. Monsters were the things of nightmares. Ryker and his family were the good guys. They might be able to shift into something other than human, but inside, they were good. They didn’t kill just because they could.
Someone knocked on the door. “Breakfast is ready,” Mac called out.
“As much as I would love to stay in bed with you all day, we need to get moving. After we eat, I’ll help you pack your bags.” Ryker kissed her quickly, then rolled off the bed. He pushed the covers down and held out his hand. His eyes darkened as he raked them down her body. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, so lots of skin was on display. He reached out a fingertip and trailed it down her bare leg. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and Rhi bit her bottom lip. Ryker adjusted his penis. Rhi could see the outline of it behind his jeans, and she wanted to know what it looked like. She wanted to touch it. To see Ryker’s reaction when she did.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he demanded. Rhi blinked, moving her eyes from his crotch to his face, afraid she’d done something wrong. “I’m trying to do the right thing here, but you’re too tempting for your own good.” He grabbed his T-shirt off the end of the bed and tugged it over his head, covering all his glorious skin. “Get dressed. I’ll see you downstairs.” Ryker kissed her again and then he was gone.
Rhi’s heart was racing. He thinks I’m tempting. She giggled as she stood to get dressed, wondering if most grown women giggled or if they were supposed to laugh huskily. Ryker had taken issue with her age, and Rhi didn’t want to remind him of it every time he turned around. She tried to remember her mother’s laugh. Around Rhi, it had been soft yet genuine. Around her father… Rhi couldn’t remember her parents sharing any moments that joyous between the two, and that hurt her heart. Daisy had been the best mother in the world, and she deserved to have laughed with her husband. Just another reason for Rhi to hate her father.
After brushing her teeth and taking care of personal business, Rhi pulled on jeans and a long-sleeved tee. Since it was warm inside the house, she padded barefoot downstairs. Several voices talking at once sounded from the dining room, and when she passed through the door, everyone got quiet. She looked down at herself, then behind her. “What?”
Lucy smiled and took Rhi’s hand. “Ignore them. They act like they’ve never seen a beautiful woman before.”
Rhi’s face warmed, but she ignored it as Ryker placed his hand on her back and led her to a seat at the table. He headed to the kitchen, and when he returned, he had two cups of coffee. The one he placed in front of her was creamy, and she knew before she took a sip it would be sweetened. Lucy, Mac, and Kyllian brought in platters and bowls. When they were seated, everyone passed the food around.
After breakfast was over, Rhi offered to help Mac with the dishes. Ryker had said they needed to get on the road, but Rhi wasn’t ready to go. She still needed to pack her bags. At the rate she was going, she might as well leave them packed. Ryker came back to the kitchen just as Rhi and Mac finished the dishes.
“Come on. Let’s get you packed.” Ryker laced their fingers together as they headed upstairs. Rhi couldn’t remember the last time she’d held hands with someone, but she liked it. She enjoyed the connection with this male. Now that she was aware of Gryphons, she understood why the others used that term – male. Because they weren’t men exactly. They looked human, but they had an animal hiding inside.
When Rhi stepped into the closet, she stopped where the hidden compartment was. “Everything okay?” Ryker was closer than she expected.
“Yes, just trying to decide whether or not to open that,” she responded, pointing to the floor.
Ryker squatted beside her legs and pulled at the handle. The floor opened, and inside were a couple of leather-covered books. Ryker fished them out, flipped open the covers, and let out a “hmm.” When he stood, he tucked the books under his arm. “I’ll get these to Lucy. They’re definitely more of Lucius’s work.”
“She said genetics or something. What does that mean?” Rhi’s education had been lacking. Just the basics required followed by mostly Bible study. She doubted the lot of them would pass the normal high school levels.
“Basically, the internal makeup of people or animals. What makes them alike or different. Why you have blonde hair and mine’s dark. Why some people can naturally run faster or are stronger. But in his case, I think Lucius was trying to figure out how to take Gryphon genes and add them to humans to make them stronger. He worked for Lucy’s boss at the GIA, and when Lucius died, her boss wanted Lucy to continue Lucius’s work. He forced her into a secret lab, threatening her with jail time if she didn’t do as he wanted.”
“Jail time?”
“Lucy was good with computers. She got caught hacking somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. The GIA gave her the option of working for them using her skills or going to jail. She chose option A, but then Ramey got hold of her when the other scientists he hired couldn’t crack Lucius’s codes. He thought since she had trained with Lucius, she would be able to carry on where Lucius left off.”
“And did she?”
“No. She managed to escape, then the Hounds, with Tamian’s help, shut down the lab.”
“What happened to her boss?”
Ryker sighed. “Monk happened. He’s one of us, and he was in love with Lucy. When she didn’t return his affections, he took off. With my blessing,” Ryker added.
It didn’t take long for the two of them to put the few clothes and toiletries she had in her two bags. Ryker carried them downstairs along with the journals, which he gave to Lucy. When Lucy opened one of them, she frowned, biting her lip. What little of the writing Rhi had seen didn’t make sense, but it shouldn’t, seeing as how she was barely educated. Was that how Ryker saw Rhi? A stupid girl with no real-world experience? It had to be because it was the truth. She walked over to the back door and looked out. Some of the trees had lost most of their leaves, but the evergreens were still rife with color. Not knowing when she’d get another chance, Rhi went outside.
A soft breeze carried the different scents f
rom all the flora to her nose, and Rhi inhaled deeply. “Hello. I have missed you all so much,” she whispered. Soft responses came from all directions. Rhi knelt, running her fingertips across the neatly manicured lawn. The soft sigh she received in response filled her soul. She wanted to strip her clothes off and lie against the fading grass, but that would have looked weird to Ryker and his family, so Rhi refrained. She stood and walked around to different trees and plants, touching each one with reverence, losing herself in the peacefulness of being one with nature. She prayed Ryker had been truthful when he told her she could plant a garden at his house. Her fingers itched to dig in the soil. To sow seeds and nurture them, then watch the seeds grow into useful herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Rhi felt the air shift, alerting her she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t a bad change, just different. Somehow, she knew it was Ryker. She looked over her shoulder to find him standing at the edge of the patio, watching her. Touching as much of the foliage as possible, she whispered a thank you to the goddess for allowing her the gift she’d been given before heading toward the house.
Chapter Thirteen
Josiah
“Have you found her?” Josiah paced, only stopping to glare at David before resuming the path he was making through his living room.
“James is the one with the tracker. Find him, and you’ll find Anna.”
“I’m not the one with the government’s super computers at my disposal.” Josiah stopped when Nadine shuffled into the room. “What are you doing in here? You know to remain in the bedroom unless I call you.” His wife didn’t approve of having Anna at the compound, but that wasn’t her decision. Nothing about what went on at Haven required her approval. Women were meant to be seen, not heard. Same as the children.
“I was going to start breakfast. I didn’t realize you had company.” Nadine looked at her feet and turned back toward the bedroom. The one she slept in. It had been many years since they shared a bed, for sleeping or otherwise. Josiah couldn’t stand the look of his wife. Couldn’t stand to touch her. She’d long ago lost her youth and her appeal. But sometimes a man had needs, and putting her on all fours turned away from him was the only way he could stomach having sex with her. If she wasn’t Abraham’s daughter, Josiah would consider getting rid of her and finding a younger wife.
Once she was out of earshot, Josiah turned to David. “Like I was saying, you have the best computers at your disposal. If you can’t find one girl, what good are you?”
David stood up to his full height, but Josiah wasn’t scared of the man. He wasn’t scared of anyone. He was the leader of the biggest and deadliest community within the Ministry. Bigger men than a computer user had tried and failed to take Josiah down.
“Since you can’t locate your daughter, get to work on finding out where James disappeared to. The other men returned without him, so he either went back to the house alone or something else happened. I want to know what. Now, get out of my sight and don’t come back until you’ve located them both.”
David inclined his head and took his leave without a word. Men like David Spencer thought they were indispensable. They weren’t. The only reason Josiah allowed David to reside at Haven was because of his daughter.
Anna. Now there was a woman Josiah would like the chance to break. To show her the true path. He had thought James was worthy of the task, but now he wasn’t sure. He didn’t like the fact that James hadn’t returned, even without Anna. The tracker assured them where Anna was hiding out, but the men who returned said they searched the home and couldn’t find the girl anywhere. Josiah was tempted to pay Karsyn Daily a visit himself. The men had assured Josiah the woman was honest with them and allowed them to search every inch of her home and property. Either they were lying, or Anna really wasn’t there. He trusted the team he’d sent. If he didn’t, he needed to find new men to lead his army. They were the best he had. No, the tracker must have been faulty.
Or James led them to the wrong house on purpose.
If that was the case, James Kirby was a dead man.
Ryker
When Ryker headed outside to look for Rhi, he found Lucy pacing.
“Little Dove? Are you okay?”
“No. Yes. Maybe? Shit. These two journals? I think Lucius was onto something. Something huge. Like prolonging life huge.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought all of his research was geared toward making humans into super-soldiers, but these two journals have notes relating to longevity. I need to study these more in depth. Ryker, if what I’ve read so far isn’t just mad scribblings, it might be possible for the human mates to match our lifespans.”
“That’s…” Ryker wouldn’t get his hopes up, but if Lucy was right, the possibility of Rhiannon living as long as he did meant he wouldn’t have to watch her die while he lived a couple centuries longer without her.
“I know. But don’t get your hopes up yet. I need to do more research. With you taking Rhi and Mac to Xavier’s, and with Tamian gone to help his Clan, I’ve got nothing but time. Don’t worry, though. I’ll still be available to help with anything you need regarding Haven.”
“James gave us the information we need to find the compound. You do whatever it is you need regarding Lucius’s work. It’s too important not to give it all your focus. I’m going to have Shadow and Ace watch over your house, just in case some of Josiah’s men decide to return. I won’t leave you unprotected.” Lucy was used to having Hounds watch over her. Usually Ryker left that up to Kyllian and Hayden, but the two of them tended to want to hang out with Lucy. All the Lazlos loved War’s daughter, but she needed to focus without being bothered.
“Thank you. And if I need help, I know just the male for the job. But that would require me to travel back to New Atlanta, unless I can convince Tamian’s uncle to come here.”
“You’re talking about Jonas Montague?”
“Yes. Who better than the male who created my mate? If he can create a clone, he can help figure out Lucius’s notes.”
“Why don’t you call Tamian? Have him talk to Jonas.”
“I will once I make sure this isn’t all nonsense.” Lucy was vibrating with energy. Ryker was so very proud of his niece. She was the smartest out of all their family. Lucy hugged the journals to her chest as she left him to go find his female.
Ryker stood on the patio, letting Rhi have a little extra time with her trees. At first, he thought she was talking, but the closer he got, he heard the most beautiful voice, singing an old rock song. As if she knew he was watching, Rhi turned around and smiled. It didn’t quite reach her eyes, and he wondered what was bothering her. She said something he couldn’t hear before walking toward him.
“Hi.” Rhi stopped with a foot between them, but Ryker reached out and tugged her closer. He settled his hands tightly at the small of her back so she was flush against his chest. Ryker inhaled her hair still piled on top of her head, and Rhi tightened her hold around his waist.
“You can feel them, can’t you?” Ryker asked. “And I don’t mean just with your hands. You feel them in here.” He touched her chest.
“Yes. They are as much a part of me as your Gryphon is you. They were the only things that gave me hope after my mother died, and David and Josiah took them away from me.”
“Never again. From now on, you will have access to all the plants you want. If there aren’t enough at my house, I’ll buy a piece of property surrounded by trees, and we’ll build a new house.”
“You’d do that for me?” Rhi’s voice quivered.
“I would. Now that I have my head out of my ass, I’ve found I will give you the world if you ask for it.”
“Why? What changed?”
“I saw you. When I was shot and you placed your hands on my wound, something happened. My body was cold from the shock of the bullet, but your warmth infused me, wrapped around every part of me, and it opened my eyes to who you really are. On the surface, you are Rhiannon Spencer, a young woman who has no exper
ience in the outside world. But deep down, you are my Rhi, a strong woman who survived in a world with no warmth, no plants or trees to nurture. You endured something that goes against your nature, and you’re still beautiful on the inside. That warmth thawed my cold heart, making it beat stronger and faster. You make me want to be a better male. A better Gryphon.”
Rhi blinked back tears, and Ryker hugged her close. “How’s your neck?”
“It’s a little sore, but Rev and Bethany were gentle. I really like her.”
Ryker smiled against her cheek. “She likes you too. Bethany’s a good female to know, so any time you want to visit with her, all you have to do is ask.”
“That would be nice. Between her and Rory, it’s like having two mothers. Not that I think of them as old. It’s just they’re both so much like Daisy. Makes me miss her a little less.”
Ryker couldn’t understand why the women at Haven hadn’t taken Rhi in and nurtured her the way a young girl should have been, but there was a lot about the cult he didn’t get.
“I didn’t know you could sing like an angel. Your voice is beautiful.”
“When did…?” Rhi shook her head. “I get lost in my thoughts and start singing. It’s something I used to do when I was younger.”
“You should do it more often.” Rhi blushed, so Ryker changed the subject. “Are you ready to ride? I hate to be separated from you, but the sooner I get you and Mac to Xavier’s, the sooner I can find the compound and make sure you aren’t looking over your shoulder any longer.”
“I’m ready.” Rhi looked up at him, and Ryker took advantage of their closeness. He pressed his lips against hers, relishing in the softness. His Gryphon purred in his chest, content in the knowledge she was theirs.
Ryker led Rhi to where the Hounds were gathered. He introduced her to those she hadn’t met. War and Maveryck welcomed her to the family, the same way they’d made Mac feel welcomed. Ryker was blessed when it came to his siblings. He hadn’t seen his sisters in several years, but he knew the six of them would be just as warm to his mate. His mate. Yes, that felt right.