"What would Ryder do?" "If you haven't noticed Ryder is very sensitive to your feelings and your emotions. He would do anything for that girl to be alright no matter how much his wolf forces him to take what's his" "Mum, this isn't a suitable conversation to be having with her." Ryder's voice startles me and my cheeks warm in seconds knowing he heard what we talking about. Allie rolls her eyes and gets up from the lounge. "Give it a chance sweetheart." She whispers before exciting the courtyard and taking the now empty tray of food with her. Ryder doesn't sit back down. He watches his mother's back, his arms crossed over his chest emphasizing the muscles in his arms stretching the thin grey material of his shirt. When he turns back to me the questioning look he has on his face is intimidating and I feel only a light bit of uncomfortableness from it. "What is it?" I ask with a soft voice, trying to relax the anger that seems to beginning to claim him. Ryder scrutinizes me before he answers. "Nothing, my mother just shouldn't have said what she did to you." He's still watching me carefully his body language tells me that he's annoyed but his eyes are soft as he continues to watch me carefully but he's starting to make me uncomfortable. "Can I go back up to the room now?" He said he'd never be angry with me but it seems like he is and I don't like the feeling that it gives me. "You don't have to leave Lottie." He moves back up next to me, moving to take my hand but then second guessing it. "Don't worry about what I said." His voice is beginning to waver in fear. The big bad King is scared of me, a defenceless human really. The difference between us in power doesn't stop the blush that covers my cheeks when I realise that maybe he fears a bad opinion of him I may have. "I'm tired, Ryder. I want to go have a rest." "You aren't hurting are you?" His hands are quick to move to my shirt but when my fingers land softly on them, they stop. Tremors run through his body and he has to shake them out before he takes my hand, telling me that he'll take me back up to the room. He says something low about having to get to whatever Maxon wanted. He's back to being annoyed. The feeling is rolling of him and it's targeted all at him. He shouldn't be feeling this. It's about his mate. From what I can guess he doesn't choose when he finds her it just happens. He shouldn't be beating himself up about it and I should be savouring the time I have with him without her around. Reynolds and Charlie are following close behind us as Ryder nearly stalks us back up to his room. There's more than my safety being the reason behind why I'm in there. The courtyard we were just in was the King's courtyard and only he is allowed in there and those he gave permission. The guard on the door didn't want to let me in because I was human and that was Ryder growled at him. I think I'm afraid to admit the reasoning behind all this to myself that my subconscious has buried it deep down so I wouldn't have to deal with the stress of it alongside the memories of my previous foster father. Warm tingles that have become regular when Ryder's skin makes contact with mine disappear as he drops my hand to close the doors of the suite leaving it so only Ryder and I are in the room. The muscles in his back flexing as he braces his body weight against it not turning around to look at me. "Ryder." My voice is strained along with the feeling in my chest that my rapid beating heart is trying to get through. "Your touch, your voice, your eyes," His voice is muffled by the door but he's turned to look at me now and I can see the pain in his eyes. "You're so much more than I expected." I'm standing no more than a foot away and I don't even have time to think about what he said before his hand is wrapped around my upper arm and his tight body is pressing me to the wall, on the left door that leads out of the suite. A loud thud echoes through the room from the force and his hands come up on either side of my shoulders, locking me in. The feeling I get at the sudden contact makes my knees go weak and the only thing holding me up is the force of his body up against mine. Warmth curdles in my stomach and my eyes move from his down to his pink, perfectly curved lips that are slanted impossibly close to mine. "We're fine." Ryder growls snapping me out of the trance I have on his lips. Reynolds and Charlie are at the other door. Except it isn't really them it's a pale blonde wolf that's leaner than the short more built brown one. Their black eyes are looking over me carefully and Ryder growls loudly again at them. They walk back out of the room slowly, their paws whispering against the wood floor. My head falls back on the door with a moan when Ryder's hips grind against mine, my hands grabbing at his shirt to keep the warmth of him close to me. When he pushes himself against me even more his face comes up to hover over the top of mine, using his height to his advantage. "You honestly have no idea what you do to me." he says giving me no time to respond before his lips press forcefully against mine, the only thing holding up my weak body is his strong arm that has moved to wrap around my waist.