Chapter 100 Blushing Before Midnight
By the time the forest sank fully into darkness, the camp was now filled with sleepy men and there was something close to silence.
A few of them had avoided beer totally but most snuck in a bottle or two to keep them company by the camp fire.
The moon was partially hidden by drifting clouds, leaving the clearing washed in shadow and silver patches of light.
Lyra was still sitting on the same rock, knees drawn up, arms wrapped loosely around herself.
The night air was cool against her skin, and though she wasn’t cold, she felt strangely disturbed, like everything inside her wasn't very peaceful due to the fight earlier.
First, Ryker. Now, Dax. Both brothers were clearly not in their best of moods tonight.
She sat there, enjoying her solitude for a minute and she didn’t hear Ryker approach at first.
It was the scent that gave him away.
She startled slightly when he stopped in front of her, holding a small metal plate and a flask.
“Oh,” she said, blinking. “You scared me.”
He tilted his head and looked at her with soft eyes. “Didn’t mean to.”
She looked at what he was holding, then turned away. “I’m not hungry.”
It was a lie. She'd been smelling the burnt rabbit from earlier and it made her mouth water. But she had to keep up the charade of her being pissed off.
He sighed quietly and lowered himself to crouch in front of her anyway. “You always say that when you are.”
“Ryker—”
“You need your strength,” he cut in gently. “Especially now that we're in the forest.”
She pressed her lips together, her stubborn gaze fixed somewhere past his shoulder.
He waited a beat, then another, before speaking again. “I’m sorry.”
That made her look at him.
“For getting you angry,” he added. “And for earlier, I didn't mean to wave you off like that. I should have handled it better.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
He reached out and caught her hands before she could pull them away, his grip warm and firm. “It matters to me.”
She frowned slightly. “Ryker—”
“When I found out you were reborn,” he said quietly, voice dropping, “I took an oath. It wasn't in front of the pack or out loud. It was just to myself. But I meant every word of it when I swore I’d keep you safe, alive and happy. No matter what.”
He looked into her eyes as he continued speaking. “And every time I mess that up, every time I make you feel anything less than that, I feel like a fool.”
Her expression softened and she shrugged. “Couples fight. It’s not that serious.”
“I don’t like you going to bed upset,” he said stubbornly.
She blinked. “Why?”
“Because,” he said with a small smirk, “you snore.”
Her eyes widened. “I do not snore!”
He chuckled. “You do.”
“I absolutely do not!”
“You do,” he insisted, amused. “And it’s adorable. Makes me pull you closer. Like cuddling my own personal motorbike.”
She slapped his cheek playfully. “You’re ridiculous.”
He winced and she immediately apologized, but he caught her hand before she could pull it back, fingers lacing with hers. “I like it when you’re rough with me.”
Her breath hitched before she could stop it, heart skipping hard in her chest. She looked away, cheeks warming.
“Or I'm too much trouble and you're just trying to make me feel better."
He watched her closely. “Have you ever thought that I don’t desire you?”
Her shoulders stiffened.
“Sometimes,” she admitted quietly. “Especially when I was in heat. And you wouldn’t touch me.”
A vivid look of frustration flashed across his face. “That nearly broke me.”
She glanced back at him, surprised.
“I tortured myself for weeks,” he said. “Because I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I needed to know that when you chose me, it wasn’t just instinct or the heat talking.”
His voice grew rougher. “I wanted to be sure you’d still want me after I satisfied you in bed.”
She swallowed. “When I came back, I didn’t know what I wanted. I hated you, I really did. I thought you’d cheated on me.”
He didn’t interrupt.
“But that day,” she continued, “when you threatened to reject me, I realized I couldn’t stand the thought of being in your life and not being your wife.”
He exhaled slowly. “So you thought running away was the solution?”
She laughed softly. “It was worth a try.”
He shook his head, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was gentle, lingering, full of apology and promise all at once.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured against her mouth. “I can’t give you the comfort you deserve here, not with the men so close.”
She smiled faintly. “I know.”
“So we’ll go deeper into the forest,” he said. “Far from everyone.”
“What?" She sounded shocked.
But he nodded and grabbed her hands. “I can't think of not touching you tonight."
“But you said you didn't want it," she was red as she spoke.
“But you ignited the fire already and now, you have to help me quench it," he grinned and grabbed her hands, dragging it across his waist and downward.
She pulled away, giggling.
“But first,” he added, lifting the plate again, “you eat.”
She hesitated, then finally sighed. “Fine.”
His smile was triumphant.
He sat beside her on the rock and broke the food into smaller pieces, holding them up to her lips.
She rolled her eyes but opened her mouth anyway, chewing slowly as he fed her meat, eggs, and a few careful sips of milk from the flask.
“You’re enjoying this,” she accused.
“Immensely,” he replied.
When she was done, he wiped his thumb gently across her lip, bringing it to his lips and sucking it clean.
She moaned softly and then he stood and offered her his hand.
“Come on,” he said softly.
She took it without hesitation and he yanked her on his shoulders and raced into the forest.