13. Ryder

13

RYDER

M y entire body was stiff and sore. Opening my eyes, the room was dark, and it smelled musty. I was lying on a couch and I had no idea how I got here. Sitting up, I winced at the sharp pain in my side, remembering that I had been stabbed multiple times.

Dammit, did I pass out in the car?

The house was quiet as I looked around wondering where everyone was. I strained to hear something when I heard rhythmic breathing, and I knew someone had to be asleep in the house. I hoped I hadn't gotten us caught.

"How are you feeling?"

My body tensed for a second before I realized it was one of the twins.

"I guess better than I deserve," I groaned, as I tried to get up.

"Yeah, you almost got us into an accident," he clipped, as he walked into the room, sitting down across from the sofa I was on.

"I wasn't thinking," I admitted, finally realizing it was Gray. "I just wanted to get out of there and with Soren making out with Oria and her scent, it wasn't a good combo for me. I wasn't handling it well."

"Ryder," Gray said, but it sounded like he was scolding me. "Why are you resisting?"

I didn't know. Blaming Serena didn't feel right anymore. I did feel guilty, but I also knew that if she found out I had my fated mate close to me, she would have probably kicked my ass. A smile made my lips twitch, but knowing she would want me to move on didn't make it any better.

"I don't know."

Gray sighed. "I'm not going to pressure you into mating with her, that should be your choice. She deserves for you to choose her, but if you know that you can't do that, I think… I think you should walk away."

I growled at the thought of walking away from her.

"When we met Addie for that location spell, I kissed her," I said, looking away. "I've already had a taste of her; I… I don't think I can walk away now. My wolf won't allow it."

Gray smirked. "Well, shit, what are you waiting for?"

I chuckled. "I don't know, I'm just hesitant about making her mine only for her to be taken away from me. I lost Serena, but I know if I lose her too, I won't survive. I don't think I would want to survive without her."

"We won't. There are four of us and if we can't protect our mate, then we are not worthy of the name mate," Gray said, running a hand down his face.

"Four of us?" I questioned.

"Max and she talked last night," he said, looking up where I assumed Max and she were. "He feels like he's a part of our pack, he doesn't raise my hackles and?—"

"He loves Oria," I said, finishing his sentence.

"What more could we ask for?" He sighed. "Plus, I know you have this shifter bromance going on, so I think we are squared away."

I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Ryder, we all saw how close to Loki you were. It was a match made in shifter heaven," he chuckled. "A cat and shifter lived happily ever after."

I tried not to smile, but I couldn't deny that I felt a weird kinship with the cat. It also helped that I had someone who was in my corner about the bond and now I knew where his hostility had come from.

"I feel like the balance is even. Two shifters and two vampires," I said, with a small smile.

"Perfect balance," he said. "We all know you shifters crave balance."

I rolled my eyes, getting up. "Any food?"

"Yeah, I found a chicken place in town, and I was able to get groceries," he said, getting up with me. "I'm gonna get Oria so she can check on you."

"Don't wake her up, I'm fine," I said, wincing as I reached the fridge.

"Nah, she will yell at me if I don't tell her you woke up," he said, going up the stairs by the kitchen.

I took a deep breath, feeling like garbage. I tried to muster all the energy I had to open the damn fridge, but just walking there was exhausting. My body was ready to give up when I felt a small hand on my back. Oria said her incantation and she flooded me with her healing power.

My side instantly felt better, letting me breathe easier.

"Heaven," I whispered. "Thank you."

We were still glowing for a few minutes and each second that passed made me feel stronger and stronger.

"How is that? Do you feel better? Anything feel off?" She ran her hand down my back.

I tried to focus on my body, but all my blood was in my cock, and I was rendered useless at thinking.

"Oh, I think he's fine, Sunshine," Gray chuckled.

I looked over at him to glare at him.

"Let me know if anything feels off and we can do another session," she said, pushing me to a barstool before she opened the fridge. "I didn't want to rush your healing too much, and try to steer clear of nasty side effects."

"Side effects?" Gray and I asked at the same time.

"Yeah, when I heal someone directly, I have to tread a delicate balance," she said, putting a plate into the microwave. "I can't just rush my power into your body without shocking your system or worse, killing you."

"I didn't know someone could die from your power," I said, shocked.

"I actually don't know for sure, but I have healed one of Taylin's men and his body didn't do well with all the power I rushed into him, and I almost killed him," she said, taking the food out of the microwave and setting it in front of me. "My power allows me to heal you, but if I use too much, I think it's too powerful. That's why it's diluted in moon water and other herbs to ensure a smooth delivery in your system."

I took a bite of the chicken, groaning when the fatty flavor hit my taste buds. The chicken hit the spot and I didn't notice the silence until I was a thigh and two drumsticks in.

Oria and Gray looked at me, amused.

"You need to finish eating, drink lots of water and you're going back to bed," she said, getting up to give me another glass of water. "I don't think I will go back to sleep."

"I'll put you to sleep," she said, setting the glass down as she yawned.

I glanced at the clock, noticing it was two in the morning.

"I think you need to go to sleep," I said to her, before taking another bite of my chicken.

"I will when you do." She leaned over the counter looking out the kitchen window.

"Did we run the perimeter? Have we done so recently?" I looked over at Gray.

"Yeah, boss, Max and Soren did, then we set up the fancy stones Oria had from her handy dandy necklace," Gray replied.

"Stones?" I looked over at Oria.

"Yeah, I have protection stones, I put them on there just in case I ever needed to use them, but they are only good if you bury them in the earth," she said, as blush stained her cheeks.

Addie said she was an alchemist, and she was powerful.

"We need to find you a place where you can replenish your necklace and you can make things for us," I said, my heart aching.

Serena was an alchemist. I swallowed my food suddenly, not feeling hungry at all when a knock on the door made me growl.

"No one should be able to walk through that ward without my knowledge," Oria whispered.

I slowly stood up, stepping back, pushing Oria behind me as Gray tried looking out the window. Soren raced down the stairs. I wondered if he had left Max by himself.

"Just let me in." Addie's voice came from the other side of the door. "I know the Fae shifter is going to jump out the window as you ambush me."

We all relaxed as Gray opened the door and Addie walked in like she owned the place.

"A call would have been nice," Gray said with a scowl.

"I did, but the twins' phones were dead, and Ryder didn't answer his." She strolled into the living room as Max came down.

She stared at him for a moment tilting her head to the side like she was figuring something out.

"Addie." He nodded at her.

"Maxton, I thought you died," she said, as she walked to the sofa and sat down.

"Nope, just stuck in a cat's body for the last few centuries," he said, sitting in one of the chairs.

"Makes sense. I always did dream of a grumpy cat and I'm assuming that was you with her." She pointed to Oria. "Good to see you."

"How the hell do you know him?" I snapped.

"He came to me looking for her," she said, looking at Oria. "Paid me a lot of money for the locator spell and I helped him out."

"Damn, Addie, you don't look a day over thirty," Soren chuckled. "But how old are you?"

"Older than all of you," she said, dismissively.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, walking to the living room.

"I'm here to make you a deal," she said, leaning back, getting comfortable.

"A deal? Why would we need to make a deal?" I felt immediately defensive.

Addie looked at Oria.

"Because if she gets caught, then we are all fucked," she said calmly.

The room burst into chaos with everyone saying something, growls and tensions exploded.

"Care to elaborate, Addie?" I growled and everyone was silent.

"You know about the god war that might occur." She looked at each of us as we all nodded. "If Laima gets her back, she is the catalyst that will start the war and she needs to be hidden."

Oria shivered behind me, the smell of her fear permeated the air.

"And you're here to help us hide her?" Soren crossed his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes at her. "What do you gain from that?"

"We all stay alive, but I need something in return," she said, leaning forward.

"Of course you need something, you can't just help her out of the own kindness of your heart or maybe?—"

"Soren," Gray snapped.

Addie's different colored eyes glared at Soren.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's suspicious that she comes here making demands." Soren stepped forward. "If she is so important then you?—"

"Soren," I snapped.

He glared at me as I expected him to keep pushing me. We stared at each other for a moment before he stepped back, walking to Oria.

Addie's eyes followed him, her fury was evident in her gaze, but once she tracked her eyes on me, she looked calmer.

"Nothing is ever free and if I do this, I'm putting myself at risk," she said with a calmer tone.

Oria's small hand ran down my back.

Can we trust her?

I looked over my shoulder at Oria.

I want to say yes, but I feel like we can't trust anyone.

I trust you, she thought, keeping her hand on my lower back.

My wolf was fucking preening that she spoke to us through our bond and begrudgingly so was I.

"Ok, so let's say we agree, who's to say you won't give our location away?" I asked her.

"I will create four objects. They will be buried at the four corners and the fifth will stay in the middle and activate the others. All she has to do is activate it," Addie said, looking at her nails. "Once she activates it, an impenetrable wall will form between all the stones anchoring to the middle one. I give you the tools, all you have to do is find a spot she can live in."

Soren, Gray, Max and I locked eyes. The twins looked wary, Max looked angry and even though this would mean she was safe, it didn't sit well with me.

"What do you want in return?" I asked, knowing I needed to talk to Oria about what she wanted.

"I want the diamond necklace that Aeon gave you," she said, still picking at her nails.

I don't know when or why you will need it, but keep it with you at all times. His words came back to me as I studied Addie who looked cool, calm and collected.

"We need to discuss this, and we will get back to you," I said, feeling Oria relax. "I'll call you once we have decided."

I saw the flash of anger in her eyes, and I knew I had made the right decision.

"You know, the more time that goes by, the more of a possibility that you will get caught." She stood up. "It's only a matter of time before she finds you and then you put us all at risk."

Max growled, making her look back at him.

"Don't let history repeat itself, Maxton," she said softly. "You know what it's like to lose her."

He looked murderous.

"You could have helped, except you chose to leave," he snapped.

"I had no choice," she raised her voice.

"You did if you had just spoken to someone," he argued.

"No sense in bringing up the past," she said, crossing the living room. "It doesn't change anything, and you miss out on the present. Call me when you have decided but if you call too late or take too long, I can't guarantee she won't be taken."

She walked out the door silently and we all waited a moment before we took a deep breath.

Everyone talked at the same time, arguing about what to do and what was right and wrong. The house was loud as we argued with each other.

We grew quiet when she moved to the sofa, sitting where Addie had sat earlier. The guys and I looked at each other, defeated. It wasn't our choice, it was hers.

"What do you want to do?" I asked, following her to the sofa, sitting down next to her.

"I don't know," she said, looking down at her hands.

She gnawed on her lower lip.

"We will do whatever you ask us," Gray said, sitting on the other side of her.

She released her bottom lip, all red and plump from her biting.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered.

"You can do whatever you want, there is no right or wrong answer," Max said, kneeling before her. "No one knows exactly what to do. We are all running blind and trying to do what's best, but it's you who has to decide this."

"We won't put you back into hiding, Blondie." Soren knelt in front of her too.

"I don't…" She looked up, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to go back into hiding, but what if this is the only way that we get to be together? What if I don't go into hiding and I lose you guys?"

I didn't know how to respond. "All your concerns are valid," I said, turning her face to me, seeing her hazel eyes full of anguish. "Like Max said, there is no wrong choice, but it has to be one that you will be ok living with. Say the word and we will all go into hiding for you or we will fight for your freedom.

"I don't want that burden," she cried. "What if I make the wrong decision?"

"Then we regroup and make a new plan," Gray said.

"We live and learn, Sol. We adjust and we try to do what's best," Max said.

"There isn't a path in all of this that won't have mistakes, and growing pains," Soren said. "We just have to figure out what is best for you because we don't want to lock you up just because it's safe, even though I can guarantee that's all we want for you. We want you to be safe."

"I… I…"

"Just think about it, ok?" I felt like we were overwhelming her. "Let's give it a day and we can decide on something later, ok?"

Her shoulders fell as she exhaled. The tension was bleeding out of her now that I had taken away the urgency for an answer.

"Ok, I think that's best," she said, with a shiver.

"Come on, Sol, you need to sleep." Max stood up, holding out his hand for her.

"Soren and I will keep watch while you guys get some sleep," Gray said, pushing his brother out of the living room.

"Did you buy some magnum condoms for the big guy, you know just in case," Soren whispered.

"Nah, he's gonna need a damn glove over that thing," Gray chuckled.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Oria turned to look at me with a quizzical expression. "You coming?"

"There is no way all of us are going to fit on a bed," I said, shaking my head.

"We put two queen mattresses together, there's room," Max said.

Oria pouted her lips at me before Max pulled her towards the bedroom upstairs. I don't know why I pretended like I was going to sleep on the couch when I had a chance to sleep with her. A part of me was still worried, but most of me was growing too attached to her and there was no way I was letting her go.

I followed them into the bedroom seeing the mattresses pushed together. It wasn't ideal, but I guess it would work for now. Oria crawled on to the middle of the bed where the seam of both of the beds were.

"I charmed it to stay together and make the seam disappear," she blushed.

I chuckled because, of course, her handy dandy necklace had something for fusing two beds together. Max and I crawled into the bed on either side of her. She laid her head on his chest as I curled up behind her.

"Goodnight, mates," she sighed.

I looked over at Max with my brows raised.

Mates?

Well, that was new, but it also felt right. Being with Oria felt right. She was mine.