Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Ellery

I couldn't stop gawking at him as excitement flooded my veins, my skin prickled, and butterflies erupted in my belly. He hated me, and I understood why, but my body belonged to him, as did my heart. When he was near, I couldn't control either of them.

Then I recalled the horribleness of yesterday, and my excitement vanished like smoke in a windstorm. He'd probably come to tell me how awful I was, and I wasn't in the mood.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"We have to talk."

"I tried talking to you yesterday, but you didn't want to hear it."

I didn't know why I was being so argumentative, but I didn't have it in me to deal with him on top of everything else I had to do today. I fully expected this to be the longest day of my life, not the worst, as that was yet to come, but the longest.

When he lowered his arm, the mercury color of his eyes deepened, and black tinged the edges.

"I do now," he growled.

My pride almost had me telling him to fuck off and that I didn't want to talk now, but curiosity silenced my words. What could he possibly have to say?

Plus, I guess I owed him the opportunity to say whatever he had to say, even if he just kicked me while I was down. What did it matter? I doubted we'd have much to say or do with each other after today.

I stepped back and waved a hand for him to enter. Ryker stepped inside and stopped when he spotted my luggage. "Where are you going?"

"To the palace."

"Are you going to give Ivan your manor?"

"No." I closed the door behind him. "If I did that, my mother and Scarlet's family would have nowhere to live, and I won't let that happen because of me."

"Then what do you plan to do at the palace?"

I backed away from the overwhelming presence he exuded. He was one of the largest men I'd ever encountered.

That had always fascinated me before. Now, it jangled my raw nerves as I felt suffocated by his presence and on edge while I waited to see what he would unleash on me.

"What are you doing here, Ryker?" I asked.

He glanced at my suitcase again, but when he spoke, he seemed to have decided to let it go. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

I hesitated before gesturing toward the sitting room to his left. He didn't say anything more before he turned and strode into the room.

When he vanished, I took a deep breath to brace myself for what was to come. I was sure it was going to be awful.

My hands shook as I followed him into the room and discovered him sitting in the oversized, cream chair furthest from the door.

He'd turned on the lamp between it and the matching couch, draped his arm over the back of the chair, and lifted one leg to cross it at the ankle on his knee. His posture was casual, but his eyes were that cold, distant silver I despised.

Feeling like I was walking to my doom, I shuffled toward the sofa set horizontally across the room and sat. I kept my shoulders back as I folded my hands demurely in my lap and stared at the window across from me. Normally, it provided a view of the Revenant Woods, but it had been days since I'd bothered to open the drapes.

When the silence stretched endlessly, I looked at Ryker while waiting for him to unleash his wrath on me.