Chapter 115: Chapter 115
“The past days and… the issue we’re dealing with. You’ve been searching for the perpetrator, but what if you actually find them and they hurt you?”
“Are you worried about me? That’s ridiculous, I’ve fought many vampires before, so it’s not like I’m defenseless.”
“Come to think of it, you never told me much about your past.”
“Do you want to hear a few stories? I could tell you how I joined Edgar’s clan.”
“Please,” she whispered, resting the back of her head on his chest. She gazed up at the passing clouds that were about to obscure the moon.
“It happened after I left Aeri’s clan. For a while, I lived alone and minded my own business, but I wasn’t happy with my life at the time. After staying with a big clan for so long, it felt strange to be all alone. The fact that I hadn’t found my soulmate yet only made it more frustrating. I had already traveled the world many times at that point and wanted to settle down and find a permanent home, but I was wary of joining another clan.”
“What made you change your mind?”
A gleam of mirth illuminated his eyes. “Edgar’s insistence, I suppose. He’s tenacious and determined when he puts his mind to something. We met one evening at a bar he frequents. At that time, he hadn’t met Helen yet, so we were both looking for a human source of blood. It’s usually not appreciated to do this in another clan’s territory; however, he didn’t mind my presence and started up a conversation with me. I’m not really sure what he saw in me, but we got along, so we met up often in that place until he eventually invited me to visit his clan’s home. I knew where this was going—he had asked me to join his clan a few times.”
“But you wanted to get to know him first, I assume.”
“Exactly. I needed to avoid being dragged into another mess… Aeri’s clan was in trouble since they frequently broke the council’s laws.”
“They killed humans, didn’t they?”
“Yes, among other things. I didn’t want to be part of such a dishonorable clan anymore. I still consider my relationship with Aeri the worst mistake of my life.”
“Making mistakes is okay as long as we don’t keep repeating them. The new clan you ended up joining was the right choice.”
He chuckled, “Yes, it was. After Edgar introduced me to everyone, and it was clear we would get along, I decided to join. Never once regretted it.”
“Me neither.”
“Then I’m glad, my flower,” he mumbled and nuzzled his face in her hair, breathing in her wonderful fragrance. When it came to her affection, he couldn’t help but be greedy—he always wanted more of it.
“Hey, that tickles,” she giggled when he blew hot air on her neck, his lips soon connecting with her warm skin, eliciting a contented sigh from her. “Ryder, are you thirsty?”
“Not really,” he murmured, then paused and reconsidered. “Then again, one bite won’t hurt.”
He readjusted his embrace, and she leaned the back of her head against his shoulder, giving him a better view of her delicious neck—when it was offered to him like this, he absolutely couldn’t resist. So he searched for the perfect spot and gave her a little warning when he breathed a kiss on it. His fangs pierced her skin and drew blood. Elena closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of his lips and the euphoria that coursed through her body. He was gentle and only took a few gulps before he showered her neck in kisses.
“Are you tired, little flower?” he asked when he noticed her closed eyes. “Want me to take you back inside?”
“No, I want to sit here with you for a while. It’s nice.”
“It is,” he agreed and gazed up at the moon, his irises slowly fading to a crystal clear blue color. He wished he could stop time because he didn’t want this moment to end. Ryder had a feeling that the weather might change soon.
Venus and Elena shared their shift at work today and chatted about a series Venus had watched recently. She was gushing about the second lead, telling Elena that he should have ended up with the female lead. Time passed quickly since they were having fun, so Elena was surprised when it was already six o’clock—the shop would soon close for the day, but they had one more thing left to do.
One of the boutiques, just two streets away, had ordered flowers for their grand reopening, choosing white and pink roses, which suited the colors of their new makeup brand. Elena had earned a lot of money thanks to this order, so she was determined to fulfill it to the satisfaction of her customer. Since the boutique wasn’t far, she asked Venus to help her carry the flower baskets. If each of them carried two, they only needed to walk there once. Elena closed her shop earlier than normal, and then the women left.
The delivery was done swiftly—an employee had accepted the flowers and brought them into the shop. Elena and Venus didn’t stay for long and soon made their way back. They were looking forward to their hard-earned free time later. Elena would be picked up by Ryder again, and then they would likely head to a restaurant on the way home. He liked to surprise her with different dinner plans lately, and sometimes she wondered if he would propose soon. Every time they had a date, she inwardly hoped he would do it—Ryder took his time, but her patience was rewarded with other sweet gestures. Kisses under the moonlight or stargazing, for example.
“It looks like it will rain soon. We should hurry,” Venus said after a glance at the gray sky. It was covered in clouds and darker than usual at this hour.
“I didn’t bring my umbrella,” Elena sighed. “Maybe I can text Ryder later. He might have one in his car…”
“Your boyfriend is picking you up again? Is he still worried because of the series of crimes recently?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a good person… even though he looks like trouble.”
“Trouble?” Elena snorted at the odd choice of words. “Why?”
“He wears black all the time, he’s got a piercing, and his gaze is intense and cold.”