Chapter 53

Chapter 53
“Moisture flooded my mouth. I wanted his tongue on me. Needed him lapping at the sensitive buds of my hard nipples thrusting against my shirt. Needed him to lap at the sensitive folds of my wet core. I burned within, needing him with such a raw ache, it had me whimpering.

“Ryker—”

A splash sounded, followed by hissing. We broke away, Ryker releasing my finger with a wet pop. He turned to the stove, finding the source of the noise. The pot of boiling water overflowed, bubbles splashing onto the stovetop, steam hissing. Ryker reached out and shut the burner off.

My chest heaved as I sucked in ragged breaths. Ryker’s own chest rose and fell in an unsteady rhythm. His eyes found mine again, and I saw desire bleeding through the blue. His eyes turned several shades darker, near black, pupils blown wide.

No. This can’t happen. This can’t be.

I took a step back. Two more steps. “I-I need… I need to use the bathroom,” I stammered. I whirled and ran to the back bedroom, flipping on the light, and saw the bathroom adjacent. After rushing inside, I turned and closed the door, locking it behind me.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I hissed at myself.

I went about pacing the small space, my claws slicing from my fingertips. Ryker was the enemy. Not only that, but he had rejected me. My fated mate had rejected me. I should want nothing to do with his ass.

My wolf whimpered, pressing a paw at the confines of my mind. She sought to return to our mate, finish what we started.

“You started,” I hissed. “And nothing’s going to be finished.” I turned on the faucet to cold and slapped frigid water across my face—the coolness biting my skin, freezing my emotions, calming my desires. As I backed away from the sink, I lowered myself onto the closed toilet seat and buried my face in my hands. I couldn’t feel this way about Ryker. Not now.

My thoughts flashed to the alpha male pinning the werewolf male against the wall at the were-bar. Ryker snarled at the male wolf to apologize. Not to him. But to me. No one in my pack, besides my family, protected me from the werewolves over the fact that I was a latent.

But a bear did.

I breathed in and out, collecting my emotions, my mind, and bringing them into mindful clarity. My inner wolf wanted nothing more than to fall into Ryker’s arms and beg him to take us. Like hell that was happening.

When my inner wolf lay on her belly and yielded, I dropped my hands to my lap and inhaled one last steadying breath. Then I unlocked the door and stepped out into the bedroom. I entered the living room to find the kitchen was devoid of Ryker. My eyes swung right and snagged on a lone figure looming in the entryway. I stilled. Vacant green eyes stared back at me.

The tiny hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end. Goosebumps rippled across my arms. My inner wolf rose to her paws, her upper lip curling back to expose wicked fangs. She rammed the barrier of my mind as she tried to take over for us and shift—the poor wolf did not understand that we were latent. That she was trapped inside forever.

I bared my teeth at the man. He towered above me, even at this distance. His massive frame swallowed up the space in the entryway. A werebear. His eyes… they held such a vacant look, like a deceased person—glassy and marbled. A thin ring of green, the black of his pupil almost swallowing the color. My instincts told me something wasn’t right.

Not taking my eyes off the bear for one moment, I made a small step to the right. The bear’s eyes tracked me. I fought the urge to swallow. I could show no weakness to this predator. I pushed every ounce of dominance I possessed into the bear, jutting out my chest and chin. The force was like hitting a brick wall.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

He cocked his head, his eyes assessing—the empty look sending a shockwave through my gut. I edged a bit more toward the side table, keeping the furniture between us. I had to get my gun that rested out of reach on the table. A slow grin stretched across the bear’s face. Fangs gleamed in the lamplight.

“You really shouldn’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.” Then he moved, the bear launching forward like a bullet.