Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Bastian
It’d finally happened. I’d found someone more infuriating than Warrick.
Rynn had the fucking audacity to be pissed at me when she was the one who had snuck out, almost gotten herself killed, and then had casually thrown out that disdainful comment about my sex life to Draven, of all people?
She and I were going to have some fucking words, but not until I got rid of her Moroi protector.
I pulled one of my daggers free and wordlessly handed it to Ryker, who took it and slunk away.
He was almost as good as me at sneaking up on people, although Moroi hearing was even better than ours, which meant I needed to keep the prince’s attention.
Fortunately, his weak spots had always been obvious.
With my hands in my pockets, I strolled out of the tree line like I didn’t have a care in the world, stopping ten feet away from them.
Ignoring Draven for the moment, I focused on Rynn.
“Rynn, beautiful, I’m a little put out, and not just because I’m missing my opportunity to—what was it you said?
Find some warm cunt to sink my cock into?
” I let out a cruel laugh. “A few nights in my bed and you’re already jealous. ”
Rynn’s eyes flashed with anger, even as a blush crept up her cheeks.
“That’s not—we didn’t—” She made an adorable noise of frustration before taking a deep breath.
“I had some things to attend to today. They’re of no concern to you or the Alpha pack.
You’re not needed here.” She nodded to Draven.
“He’ll escort me back to the Narchis stronghold. ”
My smile widened because her heart rate had just kicked up a notch. Our little wolf was a terrible liar. I’d bet my entire wardrobe that whatever she’d been up to had everything to do with us, but I’d get that out of her later. For now, my only job was to distract.
I arched a brow at her. “All the way to your room in the dungeon?”
The lovely blush vanished as Rynn’s face paled. Next to her, Draven stiffened. “Dungeon?” he asked her quietly, even as he kept his gaze locked on me.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rynn replied tightly. “Bastian is just trying to start shit by dredging up the past.”
“Whatever you say, Princess.” I shrugged and finally looked at Draven. “Your services are no longer needed. Take your toys and run along.”
“No, I don’t think I will.” He flicked his whips across the ground and smiled cooly at me. “First, I don’t trust you with Rynn, and second, I’ve wanted to make you bleed since the moment you stepped into my mother’s court.”
I chuckled even as Ryker silently rose out of the water behind Rynn and Draven. Crazy bastard had gone into the lake. He just needed to close the distance a little more.
“You never did like me.” I tilted my head and tapped a finger against my chin like I was pondering a great mystery. “Was it something I said?”
Red started to spread in his blue eyes like a river fracturing. Rynn looked nervously at him, concern evident in her eyes. For him.
Piercing jealousy slammed into me. Rationally, I knew there was nothing between them other than friendship, but I found I didn’t even want that to exist.
“Or do you not like me because Kieran does?” I smiled wickedly. “He likes me a lot.”
In an instant, Draven’s eyes turned a solid red and his whip snapped at me. I moved, but not fast enough, hissing as a six-inch gash opened up on my thigh.
“Draven!” Rynn shouted in warning.
The Moroi barely managed to avoid Ryker’s slash at his back. I straightened and pulled my remaining dagger free. Draven eyed me, turning slightly so he could see Ryker, who had managed to shove Rynn aside, putting himself between her and the Moroi.
“Both of you, just fucking leave,” Rynn snarled, her hands clenched into fists.
“Your choice, Rynn.” I lunged several feet sideways when Draven struck at me again. Ryker tried to land another hit, only to stagger back when the blood whip collided with his chest, instantly drenching it in red.
The Moroi was annoyingly fast with those things, and it was difficult to determine their reach since magic was involved, but it was still two against one, and Draven was easy to bait.
“I remember when you tossed Kier aside,” I taunted. “He joined me while I was traveling through the Moroi realm shortly after that. The things we got up to . . .”
I jerked my head to the side a second before the whip cracked next to my ear.
“Ever worry that Kier or Samara are going to wake up one morning and regret letting you slither into their bed?” I grinned as Draven snarled and took a step towards me, only to whirl around as Ryker’s dagger plunged into his ribs.
He smashed the handle of his whip against the lycan’s head, but Ryker just laughed as he yanked the blade out and danced away.
“Stop!” Rynn screamed and tackled Ryker. The two of them rolled across the ground.
For a split second, Draven’s sole attention was on them. I seized the opening, and he froze as my dagger pressed against his throat. “Stay the fuck away from, Rynn,” I breathed into his ear, “because I’ve never liked you either, prince.”
Rynn wrenched the dagger away from Ryker and ended up on top of him, something I was fairly certain she was only able to do because he’d been more concerned about accidently stabbing her while they tussled.
Her mismatched eyes fell on the dagger against Draven’s throat and then met mine. “Let him go,” she demanded.
“He leaves. You come with us,” I said calmly. “That’s the only way this ends with him still breathing, but you are coming with us.”
“Don’t,” Draven rasped. “He can’t kill me. It’ll mean war.”
“Will it?” I laughed and pressed the blade harder against his skin until blood dripped down his neck. “You’re not welcome in the Velesian realm, and yet here you are, trying to kidnap a member of the Alpha pack. Seems to me you’re the aggressor. Do you really think Samara will go to war over you?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
I smiled in victory at Rynn, whose shoulders slumped. As stubborn as she was, Rynn would always sacrifice herself to protect her friends.
“Fine.” She shoved off Ryker, stomping on his stomach before stepping away.
He glared at her before jumping to his feet and stepping to her side. Rynn bared her teeth but didn’t move away. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look before sliding her gaze to the dagger. I smirked but pulled the blade away, making sure to leave a fairly deep cut.
Half a second later, my head snapped to the side and I staggered back, laughing even as I saw stars and swiped at the blood leaking from the corner of my mouth, courtesy of Draven’s fist.
“No hard feelings then?” I called after him as he rigidly walked over to Rynn.
Ryker moved to stand between them, but Rynn shoved him aside.
“Back off,” she snapped. “You’ve won. I’m going with you. Go wait over there.” She pointed next to me.
He just gave her a bored look and remained rooted in place.
Something passed between them before Rynn muttered under her breath and grabbed Draven’s arm, pulling him closer to the water.
Ryker stared after them, rubbing that same spot on his chest until he caught me staring and then promptly dropped his hand.
Annoyance flickered through me. He was hiding something. No, not just hiding. He was lying. Ryker had never lied to me before. Maybe Warrick was right and Rynn was going to be the downfall of our pack.
“Are you sure about this?” Draven didn’t bother lowering his voice. Even if they whispered to each other, Ryker and I were only ten feet away and we’d be able to hear it.
“Yeah,” Rynn said, resignation clear in her voice. “Thank you for being my friend, Drav.”
Ryker growled at the casual use of the nickname, and I slid a glance at him. “Sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”
Both Rynn’s and Draven’s eyes fell on us.
“I’ll be in the woods.” Ryker turned and walked away.
“This journey back is going to be fun,” I muttered. “Rynn! Let’s go!”
Draven wrapped an arm around Rynn and gave her a sideways hug. She patted his arm and they broke apart, but he remained on the shoreline as Rynn stalked past me. “You’re an asshole, Bastian.”
I grimaced at the way Draven’s scent clung to her. Fucker had done that on purpose.
“Till next time.” Draven gave me a cold smile.
“Looking forward to it.” I gave him a mocking salute before trailing after Rynn. It was time for us to have that chat now.
Four hours later, I still hadn’t gotten any answers out of Rynn.
Neither had Ryker, although he’d barely tried.
Not long into our journey back, he’d shifted into his wolf form, and other than periodically snarling at Rynn when she’d gotten pissed at him for getting too close to her, he had been silent.
My interrogation had been repeatedly interrupted because we’d been attacked by not one but two howler packs. Clearly, the Strigoi had moved on after their encounter with Rynn, and the lesser beasts were reclaiming their territory.
When the three of us had strode through the Narchis main gate and made our way to our guest suite, no one had said a word. Even Rynn’s brother had backed off after seeing she was alive and in one piece. Rynn had immediately stormed into the attached bathing chamber to rinse off.
I’d considered joining her, but it didn’t seem worth the fight with her or Ryker, because his little crush was getting out of hand, which was yet another thing I’d have to deal with.
There was no way that was going to end well.
Rynn despised him, maybe even more than she despised me. It was a toss-up at the moment.
But unlike Ryker, I was confident I could get back into her good graces. Eventually.
“Hurry up!” I yelled at Rynn before shrugging off my shirt and tossing it aside.