Chapter 64: Chapter 64
“It’s new,” she replied bashfully, gazing at the ground to avoid his captivating eyes. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, very much. But you would look even better without it,” he smirked, finding a soft blush on her cheeks.
His flirting made her heart pound in her ribcage, but his implication flew over her head. She was too distracted by his hypnotizing eyes and the long lashes that surrounded them—otherwise, she would have combusted right where she stood.
Ryder’s lips curved. He found it quite amusing that he had the ability to render her speechless like this. Deciding that he had teased his flower for long enough, he removed his burning hand from her hip and got up. “Lie down,” he ordered while he turned off the light, shrouding them in darkness.
Elena climbed on the mattress, reaching for the cover. She couldn’t see or hear him anymore. He moved with silent grace. Her bare legs slipped under the cover, and she pulled it up to her chest, feeling less exposed, but she knew his eyes were on her—all of his attention rested on his soulmate at this very moment. A dark chuckle sounded through the room, coming from her left. The mattress dipped. Cool air ghosted over her body when he raised the cover. His hand caressed her leg, giving her goosebumps. Ryder hugged her from behind and spooned her, draping the cover over them. While his hand rested on her thigh in such a possessive and confident manner, she couldn’t calm down. Her heartbeat was out of control.
“You’re so tempting. Do you know that?” he murmured in her ear. His lip piercing brushed over her earlobe, breath grazing her neck. She stilled, believing he would bite her again, but he had no intention of doing so.
“I can’t take any more blood tonight,” he reminded himself. “Sleep, little flower. Don’t be nervous. Your heartbeat is… distracting.” His voice sounded amused but held a dark edge she wasn’t quite used to.
“I can’t help it… You’re so close.”
“Ah, it’s because of me,” he drawled. “As much as I love hearing that, you need to sleep. I want you to enjoy this vacation and not be tired all day.” His hand left her thigh and began to caress her stomach instead.
“Mhm, okay. Goodnight, Ryder,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered. She could have sworn she felt his lips on her spine—maybe she was hallucinating.
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The gurgling of a small creek accompanied them on every step they took as they made their way through the greenery. Elena basked in the peaceful aura of the plants that surrounded her. A sea of trees stretched on in all directions, and every single one of them had a story to tell. Most of these majestic trees had lived for decades, centuries even, and their magic felt more powerful than what she was used to. Her flowers were children compared to them.
In awe, she stopped and craned her neck to watch the branches above her—some were incredibly high up, covering most of the sky with their impressive size. Ryder let her lead the way and walked a few steps behind her. He could watch her for hours and not get tired of it. They didn’t need to speak much during their hike—her silent fascination and the joyful smiles she wore were just as entertaining as a conversation, if not more. Ryder didn’t know too much about a green witch’s magic, but Elena seemed to feel right at home.
The hiking trail ran parallel to the creek, so Elena soon got an idea and left the trail, hopping on one of the protruding stones in the water. She made a big step, reached the next stone, and thus made her way over the water.
“Be careful,” her worried soulmate reminded her, not as happy about her idea as she herself. “What if you fall?”
She stopped and threw him a cheeky glance. “You would catch me. Right, Mr. super-fast-vampire?”
“What if I let you fall in the water instead?”
“You wouldn’t.” She sounded offended at the mere idea.
“Why not? Then you would learn your lesson.”
“You would never betray my trust like this.”
He chuckled. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe. But do you want to risk it?”
“Kind of,” she said and stuck out her tongue. “I want to know what you would do.”
She hopped on the next stone, spotting fish in the crystal-clear water. Ryder groaned, unable to watch her risky endeavor, but he couldn’t look away—what if she slipped? She might split open her head on those stones. Why didn’t she understand?
“You trust me more than I trust myself, huh?” he muttered.
“You’ve earned it, Ryder. I couldn’t have a better soulmate than you. You’re the most caring vampire I’ve ever met.”
If she hadn’t been so focused on the stones, perhaps she would have seen a rare hue of red on Ryder’s otherwise pale cheeks. His silence spoke louder than words—he was stunned by her compliment. It warmed his heart, made his eyes soften as he observed her.
Elena jumped another time. The stones were slippery, covered in green moss, so she had to be careful. However, her luck ran out when she jumped to the next one. Her shoe slipped on its wet surface, and she lost her foothold. Flailing her arms, she tried to keep her balance, but her body tipped backward.
In a blink, her soulmate was behind her and caught her before she fell into the creek. She landed safely in his arms. Her wide green eyes reflected confusion as they stared up at his disapproving face.
“Buttercup. What did I tell you about being careful?”
He waded through the water back to the hiking trail, where he set her down. Elena frowned upon realizing that both his pants and shoes were soaked up to his knees. “Oh no… We should take a break and let your shoes dry in the sunlight. The forest ends over there.”
“It’s not that bad. No need for breaks,” he retorted, but she wasn’t having it.
“We’ll go sunbathing for a while, and then the problem will solve itself,” she insisted.
“So demanding,” he teased, shaking his head.
She held his hand, and they walked on together, leaving the forest behind. The sunlight was very warm, so Elena decided to sit on a large rock that lay below the cliffs of the mountaintop. “We’re taking a break here. Remove your shoes so they can dry properly.”
“Are you ordering me around?”