41. Evanee #2
One by one, Fae and Shadow Stalkers disappeared within the blackness, more like moving shadows that Cressida had released until all that remained were a few skurs.
Our allies picked off the remaining monsters, and when the last one stopped moving, celebratory howls and cheers rang out. The storm dissipated, leaving only a light mist behind.
Only thirty wolves remained out of the sixty or so that showed up. And Freesia… There wasn’t anything to celebrate. Not for me. This wasn’t over.
“You okay?” Ryker’s voice was rough and deep, back in his human form, making the blood and ichor stand stark on him.
I swallowed thickly, dragging my eyes over his injuries, nodding toward the deep wound in his side.
“Better than you. You should get that looked at.”
He grunted, not meeting my eyes. “I’ve had worse. Sit down, I’ll look at your leg.” I nodded, limping toward an upturned cart to lean against.
He knelt before me and ripped through the fabric of my leggings with ease, eliciting a shudder that had nothing to do with the cold. Thaddeus’s cabin flashed through my mind.
“Nasty break. The blade missed the artery. Should heal up in a couple of weeks.” He stood to leave.
“Ryker—wait.” My fingers brushed his arm—he stiffened—and stepped back.
Unease slid through me like water over oil. The space between us suddenly felt wider than it should've been.
“Ryker! I can’t believe you’re alive. I’m sorry, brother—I had no control over anything. I knew what was happening, but—”
Ryker smiled—though I could tell it was forced—at Malachai, turning away from me.
“It’s okay, I know. It’s good to see you, too.”
“Aiden?” Malachai questioned. I held my breath as I, too, waited for his answer. Ryker’s face fell as he ran a hand through the blood in his damp hair.
“Alive. I… couldn’t end him,” he breathed. “I took his wings instead.”
Malachai and I exchanged a brief look. A Gargoyle without wings was no Gargoyle at all. A fate worse than death. Unease twisted harder in my gut at the admission that Aiden was still out there, somewhere.
“Where’s Aniah?” Ryker asked, scanning the trees.
“I don’t know. Last I saw her was in the castle,” I said, somberly. He barely spared me a glance as his jaw worked. Why won’t he look at me?
“I thought I saw that Thaddeus fella. But there’s no way he would be here,” Lyra snorted.
Ryker’s jaw tightened, gaze sliding skyward. “The bargain.”
A growl rumbled deep in Malachai’s chest.
“She’ll be back,” Ryker said to him firmly, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Ryker—” I started toward him, but wolves howled behind us, making way for Dimitri and two others flanking him.
Ryker and Malachai straightened, faces like stone. Ryker very subtly moved in front of me, fists tightening at his side.
“I may be crass and rough around the edges, but you don’t see me walking around half naked with a bunch of mangy males around.” Lyra clucked her tongue, placing a thin blanket around my shoulders.
“Thanks, Lyra.”
“No biggie. At least the wolves covered up their man meat. And why aren’t there any woman wolves? Not that I want to see a bunch of melons and bushes strutting about.”
Under normal circumstances, I'd correct her. Maybe even spare a laugh. But these weren’t normal circumstances, and something was going on with Ryker.
“Hey, uh, think they’re going to cause trouble? " Lyra whispered, nodding toward the approaching wolves. “I have more muffins…”
I didn’t answer her; my focus was on Ryker’s back as Dimitri approached.
Dimitri shifted back to human form, thankfully with a pair of pants ready to slip on.
“I guess we should thank you for your assistance,” Ryker said, his tone tight and mistrusting.
Dimitri smirked. “Looked like you had things under control. The lightning thing was pretty impressive shit.” Ryker crossed his arms. “Even with my damn leg, I couldn’t miss out on the chance to sink my teeth into some of these fuckers.
” His attention slid to Malachai. “Glad to see you were released from your chains.”
Malachai gave him a tight smile. “You were convincing in your role.”
Dimitri smiled a wolfish grin. The two wolves flanking him lowered to the ground, their lips pulled back in warning. I pulled the blanket closer, shielding myself from the cold and building tension.
“I’ve been in an alliance with Thaddeus for years. In that time, I’ve warned many human villages before they were attacked and helped both humans and Werewolves escape this realm. Not an easy task with the sentries the King has covering every border,” he said, smugly.
A growl escaped me. “And what of Chairn?” I demanded, pushing past Ryker. “What of the rebels? Fletcher?”
Dimitri’s smile faltered, sadness churning in those deep brown eyes.
“I couldn’t do anything about Chairn. When we were passing through on our way to get you, a human whispered an insult about the Fae.
Aiden reacted swiftly, having Slade and Alaric fetch the torches.
It was done before I could do anything. And the rebels—I made sure they didn’t suffer, as they would've with Aiden. I had no choice.”
Bile rose in my throat at yet another bald-faced lie I bought from Aiden.
“You mean that you didn’t want to blow your cover.” My voice deepened as I involuntarily shifted, rising above Dimitri so that he had to look up at me, a lace of fear in his eyes.
“Evanee, calm down,” Ryker warned. “The sun’s about to rise.”
A challenging growl tore free from my throat, and Ryker shifted instantly.
He towered above me in our changed forms. Something primal twisted in my gut at both of our Gargoyles being out, mine matching his, signaling us as equals.
A match. His eyes flared as if he, too, could sense my body’s response to him. But he quickly turned away from me.
My teeth ground together. What the hell is going on with him?
“Look, Evanee, I can’t say you’re wrong. But I came today to help make up for that. Our cover is blown. Please understand, I’ll carry those deaths the rest of my life,” Dimitri pleaded, stepping toward me, until Malachai blocked him with his arm.
I dragged my eyes from Ryker long enough to give a tight nod at Dimitri. But when I looked back at Ryker, something raw in his eyes stared back. Only this didn’t feel like it had at the cabin. This was cold. Distant.
“Uhh, is anyone else feeling really uncomfortable with the way those two are starin’ at each other?” Lyra piped up.
My head whipped toward her, and in the blink of an eye, one of the wolves behind Dimitri leaped in front of her, his hackles raised at me, teeth showing as he released a guttural sound. I hissed, but before I could do more, Ryker was there, shoving me behind him, and released a deafening roar.
The wolves celebrating in the field went silent.
Everyone scarcely breathed. The Werewolf in front of Lyra shifted back, with a mop of blonde hair on his head, naked as the day he was born.
He held up his hands defensively.
“Whoa! Sorry, sir, not trying to challenge you or anything. It’s just this girl—well, she’s special to me, sir, and—”
“Shut up, pup. And put your fucking pants on,” Dimitri snarled.
Lyra looked red as an apple as she stood behind his naked body. And for all the talk she gave, her gaze dragged to his backside, eyes widening to saucers when they landed between his legs as he turned. I was beginning to think she’s never seen a naked male before.
“I just couldn’t live if anything happened to you,” he said to her, smiling. She tentatively returned his smile, cheeks bright red beneath her freckles.
“Pants!” Dimitri demanded, pinching the bridge of his nose. Poor Brax fumbled with the fabric I hadn’t seen tied to his ankle as he pulled the britches up.
Horns sounded in the distance.
“We need to go. That’s reinforcements from the surrounding Lords,” Malachai said with urgency.
“What about the Werewolves, Dimitri?” I asked, taking in how many were injured.
“We’ll go into the mountains beyond until it’s safe. There’s a camp hidden deep in the mountains where our families are. You can only get to it with four legs.” He winked. “The Fae won’t venture in. But we need to go now. Take care of yourself. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
Trees groaned, the wind picking up, as if they too were urging us to hurry.
“Let’s go,” Dimitri said, waving at Brax.
Brax whimpered. “I’d like to stay, sir. With them.”
Dimitri raised a brow. “They’re returning to their lands. None of our kind is there. If you leave, you won’t be a part of our pack anymore.”
My heart strained, thinking of Brax leaving his pack.
“I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a thief. I won’t steal you from your family,” Lyra said somberly.
“You’re not. I understand the implications, and if I could keep you with me, I would. But where they’re going—it’s too cold for humans. Most stay in wolf form to keep the cold at bay.”
“You’re welcome to come with us,” Ryker said, looking at Brax and Lyra with understanding, making my chest tighten—he’s hardly looked at me since his battle with Aiden. Maybe I’m reading into things, and we’re fine. Maybe he’s just coming down from the fight and what he did to Aiden.
“Thank you, sir.” Brax turned back to Dimitri, standing taller. “I want to go with them,” he said with determination.
Dimitri limped over and put a hand on Brax’s shoulder and gave him a tight smile, before turning and shifting into form, pants shredding.
Dimitri let loose a long howl, all of the wolves answering with one of their own before they gathered their injured and readied themselves for their journey.
I let loose a breath, as I slowly shifted back to my human form, and stared after Brax and Lyra embracing one another. And as I watched them, my eyes slid to Ryker, now back in human form as well, wondering if the distance forming between us was only in my head.
As my inconsequential thoughts churned, I hadn’t taken note of how pale Ryker had become.
He swayed.
I yelled.
He fell.