Chapter 14 Ryder
Ryder
Iknew I could be my own brand of persistent asshole when the situation called for it.
Most days, I'm not itching for conflict, but once I care about something, backing down isn't exactly in my playbook.
And Scotty mattered. So if she thought she could cry at the sight of some jerk's name lighting up her phone and then brush it off like it was nothing, she clearly didn't know me very well.
To be fair, she only met me a few hours ago.
Her call log was littered with Ken's name, each one ignored and sent straight to voicemail.
Her car had been packed full of her stuff, so it was safe to assume she wasn't just visiting Coach.
She was getting away from something. Someone.
I didn't need a whiteboard and red string to connect the dots.
"Who is Ken, Scotty?" I asked, my tone carefully neutral despite the anger and protectiveness battling beneath the surface. "Is he the reason you left Blackridge?"
"Yep." She nodded, her body tensing as if preparing for a blow that might follow her admission. "It's Ken Pryce. He plays for the Vipers."
I stared at her blankly. "I've never heard of him."
Hunter's face mirrored mine.
"Doesn't surprise me," she said with a laugh that didn't carry any real amusement. "He barely gets any playtime now."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, calculating what pieces of her story we deserved to hear. I didn't push. I just held her gaze and let the silence stretch. Eventually, she sighed, the sound heavy and resigned.
"We were engaged," she said. "We lived together. We were supposed to get married in a few weeks."
For a second, neither Hunter nor I spoke.
Engaged.
Omegas didn't usually get engaged. Betas got married, usually to other Betas. Alphas and Omegas bonded. They claimed each other with a bite. They didn't stand at an altar like it was a business contract.
"You were getting married… to Ken?" Hunter asked slowly.
"Yeah," she said. "He was a Beta."
I shot to my feet, stalking back and forth across the living room like a caged animal. My fingers kept clenching and unclenching, desperate for something—or someone—to grab hold of. Ken Pryce should be fucking glad he's not here right now.
"He cheated on me," she continued. "And he's been calling me nonstop since I left. I haven't answered, but his texts are all over the place. He blames me for not being available at the time."
I had never met the man, but I already disliked him on principle. I understood wanting sex. I understood wanting it often. But when you promised someone forever, you fucking meant it.
You didn't get to make her cry and then act like you're the victim.
"What else did they say?" Hunter's voice softened as he pulled her closer, his arm a protective weight across her shoulders.
"He goes from begging me to come back to calling me a bitch."
I didn't blame the idiot for wanting her back. It would take a dead man not to see how perfect she was. He was a fucking moron for cheating and letting her get away in the first place. But emotionally blackmailing her? Hurling insults when she refused to come running back?
I'm going to fucking kill him.
"Did he ever hurt you?" The question came out as a growl, my jaw so tight I could barely get the words past my teeth. If he had laid a hand on her, I would've been on the next flight to Blackridge without even packing a bag.
She furrowed her brows. "Not physically. He got a little rough here or there, but he never laid a hand on me. It was more emotional hurting."
That didn't make me feel better at all.
Her phone buzzed again on the coffee table, and she flinched like the sound physically struck her.
"Leave it," she said quickly when I stepped toward it.
I didn't.
The screen lit up with his name again. I picked it up and answered before I could overthink it.
"Listen carefully," I said, my voice a low rumble that carried the weight of a threat without raising its volume. A real man never needed to yell. "I'm only going to say this once. If you ever try to contact Scotty again, I will end you."
"Who the fuck is this?" he shouted.
"It doesn't really matter who I am," I replied calmly. "But since you asked, this is Ryder Thomas. And Scotty is with me now."
"She's my fiancée," he snapped, like the title still belonged to him.
"Nah," I said. "That's over. You had your chance, and you blew it. Don't call. Don't text. And if I find out you even breathed her name, I will come for you."
"So will I," Hunter called from the couch, and Scotty poked him in the ribs, but her eyes never left mine. Her eyes widened, pupils dilating as she watched me handle her ex like I was swatting away a fly.
Ken muttered something under his breath, and I could practically hear the tantrum forming. I didn't give him the satisfaction of finishing it. I ended the call and blocked his number.
Scotty stared at me with that same look in her eyes. Hunter looked like he was trying not to grin and failing miserably.
"You did not just do that," she whispered.
"Fuck yes, he did," Hunter whooped as I handed her the phone.
For a second, she just blinked at me. Then she laughed. It wasn't polite or controlled; it burst out of her like relief finally found a crack to escape through. The tension in her shoulders eased, and some of the tightness in her jaw disappeared.
"Oh my god," she said, shaking her head. "You're insane."
"Wasn't that already obvious, Love?" Hunter teased, grinning.
She wiped at her cheeks again. "Thank you," she said more quietly. "He didn't even notice I was unhappy. It was always about him."
I met her eyes directly. "Men like that don't deserve women like you, Sweetheart."
Her eyes flicked up to mine, searching, like she hadn't expected that answer.
Hunter pulled her closer against his side, his Alpha scent wrapping around us like a protective blanket. "We know your worth, Scotty," he added. "We'll always cherish you."
She nodded slowly, like she was letting that sink in.
"C'mon," Hunter said after a moment. "We'll take you home. You need sleep, and I don't think Coach would be happy finding your bedroom empty tomorrow morning."
I glared at Hunter because the fuck? I wanted her here. I wanted to keep working through her walls while they were cracking open. But one glance from my bonded Alpha shut me up.
She isn't ready. If we push too hard, she'll pull back.
He didn't need to say it out loud for me to hear him.
While Scotty pulled on her sweater, I watched her carefully. She still looked exhausted, still wrung out from everything the day had thrown at her, but she didn't look shattered anymore. The panic had dulled into something manageable.
When she stepped back toward us, she hesitated for half a second before wrapping her arms around me. The hug hit me everywhere. My chest. My gut. My damn bones.
"You're unhinged, Growly," she murmured, and my heart stuttered when she rose to her tiptoes and brushed her face against my jawline, leaving her scent on my skin. "Thank you."
I watched, eyes hooded, as she threw herself at Hunter and did the same. She pulled back, her gaze flickering down to the obvious tent in his sweats, and I groaned when she licked her lips.
I loved that she still wanted us, even after the shit with her ex.
But that could wait.
I was horny, not heartless. Pushing her tonight would've been taking advantage.
But she needed to realize this was not a one time thing, even if she protested. Even if she played hard to get. Even if I had to chase her down for the rest of my life, Scotty will be mine.