26. Evanee
Evanee
“I thought Aniah said you could mess with my head by telling me anything.”
We sat on a moss-covered stone bench beside a small pond off the rocky path. We were close enough that the chilled air didn’t slice through the heat radiating off of him.
He smiled. “No… she suggested we let you come to your memories on your own. I’m the one who didn’t want to bombard you.”
The pond was void of sound. No frogs croaking or crickets chirping. Even the water seemed eerily still. Odd, to say the least.
“How did we know each other?”
“I was there the first day you came into the castle. The day you met Aiden.”
My shock wasn’t easy to hide as my jaw fell open.
He nodded, taking a deep breath. “I was one of the guards, there in the throne room. After your betrothal was announced, some were assigned to bring you and your mother to live at the castle—for protection, they said. By orders of Queen Ava. I didn’t actually meet you until later.
” He exhaled slowly. “You were… unhappy.”
“Why? What happened to me?” My stomach clenched as I eagerly waited for his answer.
“I’m not sure that’s something I should comment on.
That’s a little more complicated, and I mostly have second-hand information.
Aniah is the one who saw things firsthand.
The change in you. She tried to get to know you, but Aiden…
. He didn’t want anyone near you. Until she convinced him that you needed to learn the ways of court life. Only then did he finally agree.”
My hands clenched in my lap.
“She grew closer to you and learned you’d wanted to be a warrior.
That you didn’t want the marriage, but were trapped in it.
Traded like fucking livestock,” he growled, then took another calming breath before continuing.
“She came to me, asking me to train you, in secret. Anything to give you a spark of life back.” He shifted, fists clenching and unclenching in his lap.
“I told her no—at first. I’d been angry at the time. In pain.” A dark look passed over him.
“What happened?”
“My mother had died the year before.” His voice roughened. “I hadn’t taken it well. It sent me down a darkened path.”
“Ryker, I’m sorry.” I placed my hand on his shoulder, careful of his injury.
“I was stuck there as much as you were, for different reasons. But when Aniah kept insisting, I reluctantly agreed to meet with you. We had to meet in daylight while the court slept. I tried to walk away several times. But Malachai held me there.”
My eyes widened. “Malachai? As in the broody asshole with Aiden?”
He nodded. “Malachai worked with me. We were close. He and Aniah were even closer.”
I raised a brow. “You mean…”
“Yes.” A sad smile lifted the corner of his mouth.
“Aniah felt that we might benefit each other.” His gaze drifted to the water.
“So we waited, then—there you were. Pale, underweight, and loaded down in feminine garb. Useless for a fight or training. But when you looked at me, I could see the fierceness in you that they’d tried to bury. Even back then. You—”
His focus snapped toward the woods beyond. I followed his line of sight, but saw nothing. I shut my eyes, honing in on the sounds—there, south of the cabin. Paws padded across dead leaves. Every sense switched on high alert, sending my nerves haywire.
Ryker stood, removing his boots and shirt, tossing them to the ground as he shifted. But as he did, my gaze caught on the band tattooed around his bicep—it was just like mine.
“Stay here,” he commanded, his voice deep and gritty, then he pushed off the ground.
“Ryker!”
He didn’t hear me.
I waited all of one minute before I tore after him.
Trees and bushes were nothing more than a nuisance as I darted between them. My skin burned from the exertion. Adrenaline pulsed through me, pushing my limbs faster. A spark ignited as something inside me seemed to awaken from a deep sleep.
A crash far off to the right had me turning without hesitation. My eyesight became sharper; everything brightened.
I broke through to a clearing and came to a dead stop.
Moonlight bathed the open ground. For once, I welcomed the light, holding my arms out to either side, basking in it.
The result was almost euphoric, making me forget who I’d been following.
I needed to be here. My head fell back, savoring the moment, before a sharp pain sliced through my body.
My teeth snapped together, a grunt of pain escaping.
“Evanee!” Ryker’s voice was far away, but my hearing was keener.
The beat of his wings grew closer. I tried to focus on them, but then another throb of pain had me on all fours.
Gulping, I could scarcely catch my breath as spasm after spasm rocked through me.
Beads of sweat formed all over my body, tears sliding down my cheeks as the pain grew more intense, my cries drowning out everything else.
My wrists and ankles burned where the bands had been, but nothing was there.
“Evanee!” He was closer.
Close enough that his intoxicating scent shoved up my nose, making my eyes roll back in my head. I wanted to go to him, but I couldn’t move.
My skin rippled.
A beautiful monster had woken inside me.
And she was full of rage.
Without warning, my Gargoyle tore free. A ragged scream clawed free from my throat as flesh ripped away, revealing an obsidian form with white shining specks. Bones stretched and popped. Muscles burned as they changed to accommodate this form.
The sounds erupting from me became hoarse and raw. Skin ripped apart on my back—wings sliced free, shredding my tunic and corset, the remnants falling loose down my arms.
I shook free of the torn fabrics. Hair tickled my overly sensitive flesh as it fell over my exposed breasts.
My wings lay limp on either side of my body as I caught my breath. Fingers throbbing, I shoved them into the cool soil, talons slicing deep in the ground. A shudder coursed through me as I stayed frozen on all fours, letting my body adjust to the change.
It finally happened.
I’d hoped the change would bring my memories back. It didn’t. But having my Gargoyle again was enough. For now.
My back ached from the heavy, foreign weight of my wings, but no longer did that deep itch plague me. A smile stretched over new fangs, slicing my lip. But the sound of footsteps crashing through the trees had my head snapping of its own accord, in the intruder’s direction.
Ryker stopped just on the opposite side, back in his human form and barefoot. His sharp gaze met mine briefly as he took in every inch of me.
Heat licked low in my belly. Really low.
He held his hands out in front of him. “I know you probably have a lot of relief going through you right now and normal, cohesive thoughts. But it’s been three years since you’ve shifted.” He took a cautious step. My nostrils flared as his scent assaulted me again, but amplified.
“You’re going to feel it soon. The need to hunt. To fly. To be more.” Sticks snapped, making my head cock to the side as he continued slowly toward me, hands still raised.
I pushed myself up, standing shakily, eye to eye with him in this form. My body leaned back from the dead weight of my wings, but instinct had my tail instantly counterbalancing.
His gaze scanned over me again. Hair still covered my chest, and thank the moon, remnants of the leggings still covered the rest. But I might as well have been completely naked. I held my arms and talons out before me, inspecting the color.
My eyes snapped to his.
“Why does my color match yours?” My own voice startled me, coming out deeper, a husky growl. He went rigid—gaze flicking past me.
“Evanee, listen, we don’t have much time. I need you to know that you’ll be safe. No matter what happens, no harm will come to you while I’m here.”
A noise rumbled deep in my chest. Was I purring? Like a fucking cat? I can’t turn it off! Traitorous body, more so in this form.
My head involuntarily cocked to the side. All of my movements were too fast, giving me whiplash.
“Evanee,” he said softly. “Come back to the cabin with me.” He held out a hand, eyes shining as bright as I knew mine were. I took one shaky step toward him.
“Werewolves!”
Aniah burst through the trees, out of breath, panic etched across her face. Her eyes widened as she looked me over, craning her neck.
A howl pierced the air, and as if my Gargoyle had a will of her own, my legs took off running in the opposite direction of Ryker, and my wings lifted, so that only the tips dragged the ground. It hurt like a bitch. But my Gargoyle had been dormant too long. She wanted to be free.
My wings began to pump—slow at first—then faster and faster. My mind may have forgotten what I was, but my body hadn’t. Even with disuse, it felt like second nature. However, I couldn’t lift into the air. I was too weak. A cry of frustration came out in a snarl as more howls filled the air.
I kept running, dodging anything that lay in my path.
I burst through the trees and skidded to a halt—three enormous Werewolves blocked my path. Just as big as Dimitri. They looked equally surprised to see me, a gray one even cocked its head to the side. Then they lowered their snouts, snarling and growling, their long, dagger-like teeth snapping.
My wings tucked in tight as I lowered into a defensive stance. I was in no position to fight them. Not in this form. Not yet. And I only had my talons as weapons.
A golden one on the left lunged.
I threw my arm up, crying out as he locked his jaw around my forearm. I sliced toward his belly with my free hand, pulling out tufts of fur. But it'd been enough to make him release my arm.
A spine-chilling roar shook the ground as Ryker landed in front of me, the impact making the trees groan from the power pouring off him.
The Werewolves faltered a step before their leader, a large white wolf, snapped at them. Then all three lunged.
They were no match for him.
Ryker lifted the golden wolf into the air with impressive strength, then lunged forward, his fangs ripping into the wolf’s jugular.
Blood rained down his face and body until he discarded the corpse to the side and quickly snatched up the gray wolf into both hands, pulling his snout and bottom jaw until the whole fucking head ripped.
I grimaced as more blood sprayed all over Ryker, making him look like something out of a nightmare—one I couldn’t look away from.
The third wolf moved to his blind spot. But I was there, not even feeling myself move.
One minute, I stood before the wolf. The next, movement blurred. I looked down to see the white wolf’s body lying on the ground, bleeding out where its head had been, and blood was dripping down my face. I blinked. I didn’t remember doing it.
Ryker approached me slowly, his shining blue-and-silver eyes a contrast against the dark blood coating his even darker form.
“You’re hurt,” he growled, gesturing to my forearm. My wide gaze flicked down to the blood dripping.
I didn’t feel it.
Too much warred within me. Overwhelming me.
Overstimulating. The rush of the kill, the concern over not having complete control, and…
deeper. Something deeper stirred within me as I looked at Ryker.
This male Gargoyle that I matched. His scent filled my nostrils as if it were tailored for me—everything I craved and more.
His eyes flared as if he could see what was churning low within me. Smell it on me.
“Evanee,” his voice was deep. Husky.
But movement had us both turning as another Werewolf bolted from the trees and away from us. Ryker took off after it.
A roar loosed from deep within my chest, ready to follow.
Instead, my vision went completely black.
The dam I’d wanted broken for so long, had finally shattered.