"Are you always going to rip my clothes off?" I was lying on my back, completely exposed to him without a worry. Ryder smirks as he gets off the bed. "If you look like that without them, then yes." My eyes followed him as headed to the closet. He returned only a few seconds later with a new bra, a loose floral top and a pair of dark jeans. "I would have been fine with a plain t-shirt." He watches me careful as I slip the bra on, his eyes darkening once again. "We're going downstairs for lunch. I'm going to show you something." His voice dropped in volume and his eyebrows furrowed. My own eyebrows furrowed seeing his face. He never seemed unsure about much but now he looked very conflicted over the thoughts that he was blocking from me. The silky material of the shirt tickles my skin as I lean forward to get my face closer to his. "We can stay up here to eat." My hand moves to hold his jaw that was clenching and unclenching. He shakes his head slightly so he doesn't have to lose my touch. "I've been putting off showing you this all week. I want you to see it." Pushing myself up from my bed and quickly pulling on the jeans, I take his hands and pull him up to his feet. "Then show me and feed me." Ryder's hand tightens around mine and he pulls me into step beside him. Walking past the guards outside the door I bite my lip and they all avert their eyes to the roof. Nothing really happened between Ryder and I but they still knew that something did happen. Even though I had been warned we wouldn't have the best privacy I was still embarrassed. The bottom two levels of the castle were now fixed. It looked as if we had never been attacked at all. I was still with Ryder, who was easily the strongest wolf out of all of them but we were still surrounded by another fifteen guards and my regular five. The rebels were going to attack again and Ryder was nervous that I was going to get hurt. His feelings were so strong, it was no surprise that I could feel them but I knew he was also feeding them to the others. When we reach the bottom floor of the castle and headed down the long, wide hallway I knew where we were going. It was one of the first places that I ever felt myself grow close to Ryder. The first time I first felt myself want a real relationship with him. Ryder released my hand to open the double doors and let me enter first. I watched him as he gave orders to all the guards to stay outside. Once the door was closed and we were alone in the bright and wide hall of king and queens, he stalked slowly towards me. "Close your eyes." He smirked as I glared at him but I still closed my eyes. I felt the soft touch of his hands land down on my hips as he turned me and walked us further down the long hall. "I've seen this before Ryder," I chuckled, dropping my hands on top of his and linking my fingers underneath his. Ryder didn't answer me and we kept walking before he stopped and turned me so I was facing what I guessed was a wall. He steps in close behind me, pressing his body against mine. "You can open them now." His voice was light and husky and an unintentional shutter ran through me. My eyes fluttered open and I felt my heart skip a beat at what I see. "That's me." All Ryder did was him in agreement, the vibration of his chest moving through my back. Hanging on the wall was a new image that I hadn't seen. It was Ryder and I from my coronation. My eyes moved over the painted mirror image of me. My face was stern, powerful and regal but I could still see the glint of happiness in my eyes even though that was far from the objective of the painting. Ryder and I were slightly turned into each other. He was a step behind me and he had an arm around my waist but he looked equally as regal and strong as what I did. I was human but I looked at home beside the strongest werewolf king that had ever been and at the end of all the previous kings and queens of Jordena. "Do you like it?" He sounds unsure as he leans back away from me a little. "I can get it redone if you don't." Shaking my head I tighten my hands around his again. I had moved them to gently brush over the detailed colours and shading of the skirt of my dress but I wanted to be holding him now. "Don't you dare." My hands move with his as he settles them over my stomach. If all went well there would be another picture on the wall behind us, and it would have our pup standing between us. Ryder didn't say anything, he just gently runs his fingers over my stomach with his head buried in my neck, kissing the skin in between deep breathes of my scent. Ryder was in a moment and I didn't want to distract him. Looking down at his hands moving over me, I imagine that underneath his hands that there was a bump and he wasn't only feeling me but he was feeling a part of the both of us and a product of the love we have for each other. A growl tumbles through my stomach and I feel as Ryder's lips pull up into a smile. "Let's go feed you." With a kiss he pulls back away from me. Taking my hand he pulls me back to the door that we came in through. All the guards instantly surround back around us and I unconsciously step in closer to Ryder's side. Once I'm in closer to him I feel him shoot me a quick look before his arm snakes around my waist and pull me back into him even tighter.