Chapter 52: Chapter 52
“I missed you too,” he said in a breath, kissing her temple and leaving a bloody smear on her skin. He listened to her heartbeat since he wanted to be sure she wasn’t in any danger. While it wasn’t as strong as usual, it maintained a steady rhythm. It had been shocking to find himself gulping down her blood without restraint. He was afraid he had rekindled her fear, but she didn’t fight his embrace. On the contrary, she cuddled up to him, leaning her body against his, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He took her reaction as an invitation to embrace her more tightly and relished the sensation of her warm body in his arms. He must have been dangerously close to hypothermia—the poison had made him susceptible to the cold as if he were human. He had stopped shivering, thankfully.
“I’m glad I found you in time,” she breathed. “I was worried.”
“You saved my life. I can’t thank you enough,” he murmured, his voice soft with boundless relief.
Elena smiled faintly, struggling to sit up and look at his face. “Are you feeling better?” she asked, putting her hand on his cool cheek, the touch setting off a spark of warm magic.
“Yes.” Ryder frowned, seeing how pale she was. He shouldn’t have drunk so much blood at once… “It’s you we should be worried about. I’m sorry, Elena.”
“Stop apologizing, Ryder. It’s not your fault at all. You were unwell, and I’m happy I could help you,” she insisted. As a sudden thought crossed her mind, she tensed up. Her eyes widened. “We have to leave, this place is not safe.”
“Don’t strain yourself,” he reminded her, bringing her restless self closer to his chest with a gentle push. “Please rest, buttercup.”
“But what if Steph…”
“I dare him to show up. Saves me the trouble of hunting him down,” he cut her off with a low snarl. His eyes gleamed deadly, exuding a reddish glow. “Don’t waste another thought about that bastard.”
As he met her gaze, his voice softened. “We’ll take care of everything else. Close your eyes and sleep, little flower. By the time you wake up, you’ll be at home.”
She trusted him. Therefore, she didn’t hesitate and put her head on his shoulder, letting the exhaustion win. Her consciousness gradually faded. Satisfied, he placed a kiss on her hair. The amazing feeling of relief flooded him in waves. He was drunk on it and couldn’t get enough. After tonight, he swore to himself he would be ten times more cautious. He couldn’t let himself get ambushed ever again… Especially not by that lowlife Steph and his cowardly hunters. Ryder had a score to settle with them. His hands were itching to take revenge, but for now, he had more important matters to attend to.
Elena was nearly asleep when he shifted his posture and slipped one arm under her knees and the other under her back. Ryder got up, carrying her outside. It was liberating to breathe fresh air and to see the welcoming glow of the morning sun up in the sky. Having heard him arrive, the other clan members looked his way.
“Are you both okay?” Chump asked and came to stand next to him. “You scared the shit out of me when you disappeared without a word.”
“I’m fine,” Ryder replied. “I wanted to stop Steph once and for all, but I walked into a trap—he hired two hunters who ambushed me. I didn’t get a chance to fight them because they poisoned me.”
“That’s the only way they could ever win, huh? By playing dirty,” Chump commented, scowling as he crossed his arms. “Fucking cowards. They haven’t shown themselves yet.”
“Did you try to track their scents?” Ryder asked.
“Yes, but we lost them behind the forest where they entered their car,” Edgar answered.
“Steph left no trace?”
“No,” Chump growled. “But he will regret messing with us. He’s playing a dangerous game. What did he think he would gain from this?”
“He is a narcissist and an abusive bastard. I assume he can’t get over the fact that Elena wants nothing to do with him. His fragile ego must have gotten hurt after she left,” Ryder grit out. The sole thought of her ex turned his eyes deep red with lust for revenge. “The next time we meet, I will kill him.”
“As you should,” Helen agreed, eyes fixed on Elena’s pale face. “Let’s go home, you have been through enough.”
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“Are you fucking kidding me? How did he escape?” Steph thundered, smashing his fist on the table.
“The entire clan came to search for him. What did you expect us to do? If we had interfered, the vampires would have ripped us apart. We barely got away before they saw us,” Felix explained, mouth forming a stern line. “We can’t fight ten angry vampires and a witch with just two people. That’s ridiculous. Our strategy depends on ambushing and surprising our victims—if they’re already expecting us, we’re at a disadvantage.”
“Cowards,” Steph yelled. He was livid and wanted to crush that disgusting clan. Ryder was more tenacious than a cockroach, and the stupid slut was no better. “Go and fix your mistake. Your mission isn’t done until your target is dead.”
Sophie and Felix exchanged a glance. “We won’t risk our lives for you. If we go up against an entire vampire clan out for revenge by ourselves, we’re dead. It’s not worth it.”
“I’ll pay you three times as much as I promised,” Steph growled.
“No amount of money could make us go anywhere near this clan another time,” Sophie said firmly. “Go look for someone else. Only a fool would resume a mission like this.”
“You are fucking pathetic,” Steph muttered.
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No words could have expressed the relief Elena felt when she opened her eyes and found her soulmate next to her. The sight warmed her heart. A tired smile bloomed on her face. She had him back. Ryder appeared much healthier than before, his features peaceful as he slept. He breathed steadily, one of his arms embracing her waist.
Elena had never seen him sleeping before. Vampires usually didn’t need to. Maybe the wolfsbane still had a slight influence on him, or perhaps the ordeal had exhausted him despite drinking her blood. She remained quiet and settled for watching him since she wanted him to rest. The hole his absence had left within her was gone. Her apprehension had disappeared as well.