Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Ryder parked the car in the garage and opened the passenger door to help her get out. Her motions were wobbly and clumsy; she wasn’t in a state where he could leave her alone, and he regretted letting her go yesterday. Whatever had happened within the past 24 hours had completely shaken her. How he hated seeing her like this—he wanted her to be happy.

Upon their arrival in the mansion, Ryder caught a glimpse of Edgar. He leaned in the doorway to the dining room, watching them with furrowed brows. However, he didn’t approach them, sensing that something was off, and let them pass without a word. Elena was too upset to even realize that he was there and barely processed the way from the car to Ryder’s bedroom. She just clung to his hand and stared at the wooden floor as they walked.

“Make yourself at home,” he said and guided her to his sofa. She sat down, looking forlorn and all too much like a wilting flower. Her shoulders sagged, and her eyes were framed by a reddish hue.

“Do you want something to drink? Are you hungry?”

She shook her head, and as she did, the loose scarf around her neck slipped. Ryder’s eyes didn’t need a second to take note of the violet marks engraved on her skin. He inhaled sharply, curling his hand into a fist. His nails dug into his palm, leaving crescent moons. Flames of anger licked through him, nearly burning his calm demeanor to the ground.

“Elena,” he said, reaching for her chin and tilting it up so he could get a better view of her neck. “What happened here?”

When her entire body tensed, his heart was stabbed by needles. She didn’t look at him and shamefully stared at the sofa.

“Please tell me,” he continued, hoping to coax the answer out of her. Ryder already had a suspicion in his mind as to who the perpetrator was, but he needed confirmation from her in order to be sure. Given how uncomfortable she looked, he wasn’t convinced she would tell him. He sat down with her, his eyes tracing the marks on her delicate neck—whoever had done this to her would pay.

“Elena?” he whispered, and despite his simmering anger, he managed to keep his voice steady and calm. Only his red eyes revealed his murderous thoughts, but Elena didn’t notice their color since she looked down at her lap.

“I broke up with Steph. It didn’t go well,” she said eventually. “He threatened me.”

Ryder was silent for a tad too long. She heard him swallow, grinding his teeth in an edge of rage. “It’s good you finally broke up. You should have told me, then I wouldn’t have left you alone with him,” Ryder answered, his tone shifting and seething with indignation. “He won’t reach you here. You will stay with me from now on, where you are safe.”

A mere week ago, hearing these words from a vampire would have shaken her to the core, but now, oddly, they held a promise of security that she desperately needed. She opened her eyes to the undeniable truth; Ryder wasn’t her enemy, he wouldn’t hurt or even kill her despite being a vampire. A strong wave of relief washed over Elena, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

His scowl was replaced by a frown, and he leaned in to embrace her carefully. He waited for a sign that she was uncomfortable with the action, but when he received none, he tightened the hug and let her rest her body at his chest. Only when he nuzzled his face in her neck did she flinch a little.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I won’t do anything,” he whispered with his lips on her jugular, feeling the thrumming of her nervous heartbeat. He left a kiss on her bruise, soothing and soft like the petals of a flower. With every tiny peck he planted on her neck, she became more comfortable with his touch until she closed her eyes and sighed, melting into the relieving feeling of security.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Ryder asked. “Would that help?”

She mumbled a quiet yes before she began her explanation, snuggling up to him and seeking comfort. “He got angry when I came home yesterday because I was gone for a whole night. And then… he saw the bite mark and lost it,” she recalled and swallowed hard. “He put his hands on my neck and… and I couldn’t breathe. It was frightening. After that, he left, and the next time I saw him was in the morning when I broke up with him, and he kicked me out.”

Even though her hearing wasn’t as good as that of a vampire, she picked up a low growl from her soulmate. Had he been anyone else, it would have unsettled her. “How dare he treat you like that—he’s lucky I wasn’t around,” Ryder hissed. “He vandalized your shop as an act of revenge.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “I’m sure it was him.”

“He will regret his actions,” Ryder scowled. Just the idea of this disgusting bastard laying his hands on his soulmate made him furious—he couldn’t stand it, and the longer he thought about it, the more his blood boiled. “Did he hurt you like this before?” After seeing the bruises on her neck, Ryder didn’t believe it had happened for the first time.

Her eyes remained closed as her features contorted. Lips setting in a hard line, she frowned. Her hand on his chest curled into a fist, grabbing the fabric of his shirt tightly. “Yes,” she confirmed. “He… he sometimes hit me when he got angry and… and he often said I’m not pretty enough for him. That I should wear make-up when I’m with him.”

Ryder wanted to ask her why she had never told him about these issues, but no matter how upset he was, he bit his lip and kept the question to himself. She must have been ashamed—that’s what he deduced from her body language. Ryder began to understand why she was so insecure about herself—and who was to blame.

“He lied,” Ryder growled. He attempted to keep his voice soft but failed as his resentment was too intense. “You are gorgeous, the prettiest soulmate I could ask for. And he is blind if he doesn’t see it.” He gazed down at her curled-up body, brushing his fingers through her hair in a comforting gesture. Her eyes opened and glanced up at him, meeting his ruby red ones.

“Really?”