The memory of her writhing on top of me on the cavern floor slammed through my mind. How her fingers had tightened around my throat. Those wicked, delicious sounds she’d made as I had thrust deeper inside her.
Fuck. Now I was hard. I subtly adjusted how I was sitting so Cade wouldn’t see my erection straining against the thin fabric of the pants he’d tossed me after finding me pacing outside Rynn’s room.
She’d locked me out. Again.
That wasn’t a surprise, but Bastian’s scent outside her room had been. It was fresh enough that I knew he was in there with her, which I didn’t understand. She hated Bastian and he had no interest in bedding her, so why had he been in there?
Unless . . . Had I misread things between them? All the lust-filled thoughts in my head died.
Rynn was one of the few things that both my wolf and I were confused about. The first time I’d seen her, I’d hated that pretty face so much. Change was difficult for me, and even though Cade and the others had warned me Rynn would eventually be coming here, seeing her then had been like getting sucker punched.
Then her scent had wrapped around me, suffocating me with its sweetness, like the first day of spring when the wildflowers bloomed.
I’d never wanted and hated something so much in my life, and I’d blamed her for it. Every chance I got, I tried to smother her scent with mine, thinking it might help. That it would allow me to think without her very existence clouding my thoughts.
It hadn’t.
My obsession had grown until the first time we’d brawled in that cavern and I’d sunk my cock into her tight, wet cunt. She’d screamed at me to go harder while clawing the shit out of my chest.
I’d never had a relationship before. Hell, I’d never been with anyone before Rynn, but I was fairly certain that what was going on between us wasn’t normal.
All I knew was I didn’t want it to stop.
Despite her proclamations today, I knew Rynn would come back to me, or at least, I had been confident before I’d learned Bastian was in her room.
A strange feeling rose inside me, and it took me a moment to identify it. Jealousy.
Not just over the idea that her and Bas could be sleeping together, but that maybe she preferred him over me. I mean, if she was going to hate fuck anyone in the pack, it made sense for it to be Bastian.
He was uncomplicated and always knew just the right things to say. Plus he wouldn’t want anything else from her, whereas I . . . I had no idea what I wanted. Other than her.
Why did this have to be so confusing?
“Ryker,” Cade said a little loudly, and I got the impression he’d been trying to get my attention. I blinked and looked at him. He shook his head. “Rynn’s rubbing off on you. She gets lost in her thoughts frequently too.”
“Are she and Bas fucking?” I asked bluntly.
Cade never lied to me, whereas Bas would sometimes skirt around the truth if he thought I’d react badly. Warrick didn’t lie to me either, but he’d just walk away instead of answering.
“No,” Cade said after a long pause that would have had my hackles rising if I were in wolf form.
“Then why is he in her room right now?” I pushed.
Again, that hesitation. I knew what that meant. He was trying to think of the right way to explain without setting me off, which meant whatever he was going to say was something I wouldn’t like. A low growl rumbled from my chest just as the door swung open and Bastian strolled in.
Smelling like Rynn.
“What’s got the pup all riled up?” Bastian drawled.
I lunged out of my chair, but Cade was ready for me. He grabbed me, wrapping his trunk-like arms around my body, and yanked me against him. I struggled against his hold, but he’d pinned my arms to my chest. Trying to outmuscle a ursanthrope was a fool’s errand, so I held still and waited for an opening.
“You have the worst timing, Bastian,” he grumbled.
The feline shifter grinned, not the least bit concerned with the silent snarl on my face. “I have it on good authority that my timing is perfect.”
Kill him. I was gonna kill him, or at the very least, bash that too-perfect face into mush.
Bastian saw my expression and rolled his eyes before hopping up onto the bartop that ran across one side of the room. He flipped a small glass over from where they were neatly stacked and poured himself a drink. “Let me guess, this has something to do with our lovely Rynn?”
