Chapter 57: Chapter 57

“It’s reasonable you’re relieved to be rid of him,” Ryder said, reading her thoughts by studying her expression. “He was not a good person, and the way he treated you was horrible. I spoke to him, and he made it clear he would not stop tormenting us unless I killed him. So I did what was necessary. From now on, you don’t need to waste another thought about this person.”

Ryder was right; she could leave her past behind. And not only that. With Steph gone, she could reopen her shop. She could finally return to her passion and start over. He wouldn’t be there to ruin it another time.

“Ryder,” Elena stiffened when a thought crossed her mind. “Did you get hurt? Did he use his magic against you?”

“I’m fine, buttercup. He couldn’t cause any damage to either of us.”

“I’m glad you brought Edgar and Chump,” she said with a stern glance in his eyes. “Vampires are not invincible.”

To her surprise, her strict words made a smile appear on his lips. “Are you worried about me?” Ryder asked, bopping her nose with the tip of his finger. “Elena, it’s you we should be worried about. You’re supposed to sleep; it’s late.”

“I already said I was waiting for you, Ryder.”

“Now I’m here,” he countered, arching his brow. “Lie down, petal.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“Yes,” he said. There was darkness in his voice, leading her to think he never intended to leave her alone tonight. She made space for him and lifted the cover. He slipped underneath it and pulled it over their bodies. Elena let out a drawn-out sigh when she hugged him and snuggled up to him. Their legs got tangled. Ryder carefully took her hand, watching her wrapped wrist in the darkness. His fingers lightly caressed it, not finding any bloodstains on the bandage.

“Does the bite hurt?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“It’s fine… it really is. I made a healing potion while you were gone. It speeds up the recovery process. Maybe I can remove the bandage tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” he hummed, closing his eyes and inhaling her sweet scent. Ryder allowed himself to relax. He splayed his hand over her spine, stroking her back. Thanks to his affectionate gesture, her breaths evened out—she was almost asleep. Ryder enjoyed being with her like this. It felt pleasant to be close to his soulmate. The anger and the wish for revenge that had overtaken him were gone. He was at peace and could focus only on her.

Ryder was proud of Elena and the progress she had made recently. He found it hard to fathom that this affectionate woman had once been scared of him. And now, she slept at his side without even a hint of fear, wearing a content smile on her lips. His little flower was blooming.

“Sleep well,” he whispered in her hair, leaving a kiss. Elena remained oblivious to this, already in dreamland.

---

Many hours later, Elena slowly woke up. The summer sun was already up, shining in her face when she turned towards the window. It was warm and cozy under the cover. She was wrapped up like a little burrito. A smile lit up her sleepy expression.

“Mhh, so comfortable,” she mumbled, still half-asleep.

“So clingy,” someone else drawled, the voice much deeper than hers.

“Huh?” she yawned. “Who said that?”

Rubbing her eyes, she gradually returned to the present, and when she raised her head, she gazed straight at Ryder’s amused smirk. He bit his bottom lip to hold in his laughter, his fang digging in his skin.

“Ryder?” she asked, dumbfoundedly.

“The one and only.”

“You’re here,” she exclaimed once she was fully awake. He could almost see a lightbulb turn on above her head.

“I’ve been here all night, silly. Are you ready for breakfast?”

“Yes, I’m hungry,” she answered and untangled herself from the cover before she left the bed. She felt his eyes on her while she trudged to her wardrobe, choosing something to wear. Since it was another hot summer day, she picked a light dress, not wanting to bother wearing pants in this weather. She vanished into the bathroom for a while, and when she returned, her hair was combed, and her teeth brushed.

The pair left her bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where they encountered Chump. The red-haired vampire had just fetched one of the blood bags in the fridge and poured its content in a wine glass. Elena tried not to cringe.

“Good morning,” Chump said. He shot Ryder a questioning glance and gazed at her. “How are you, Elena?”

“I’m okay, thanks for asking. What about you? I heard you accompanied Ryder yesterday.”

Chump looked so shocked, his eyes visibly widened. “You heard?” he echoed. Apparently, he had not expected Ryder to reveal it to her, especially not so soon. Chump had underestimated his friend’s bluntness.

“I told her because this concerns her as much as it concerns all of us.”

“That’s fair, I guess,” Chump agreed.

“Next time, please don’t hide such things from me,” Elena said. “I’m not a child.”

“But you’re not a vampire like us,” Chump said with furrowed brows. “And I’m sure you would not approve of our ways in every situation.”

“I’m aware that your kind likes to resort to violence. But since I’m supposed to be a part of this clan, I don’t want to be left in the dark about what’s going on.”

“Then we will respect your wish,” Edgar’s calm voice chimed in. The clan leader remained in the doorway and watched the three of them. He must have been in his atelier until now, since his fingers were covered in splatters of acrylic paint. “Are you feeling better today?”

“Yes,” Elena smiled.

“Good. Helen has been worried about you. Maybe you should talk to her later.”

“I will.”

Edgar nodded and gave the group a small smile before he left the kitchen. In the meantime, Chump had finished half of his bloody drink, and Ryder was busy preparing breakfast. Elena opted to help him and set the table. Even though Ryder didn’t require food, he usually ate with her so that she was not alone. She was grateful for this and appreciated his efforts to make her feel right at home.

By the time they sat down at the table, Chump was on his way to Avocado’s room. He mentioned something about working on a new song with him.