Page 37 of Never His Mate

“Good answer,” Ryker drawls, his eyes flashing so brightly, I have to fight the urge to flinch.

Only when the air turns thick with his sudden arousal do I run my words back through my head and realize what it is I just said—and how he must have interpreted it.

Not that Aleks and I aren’t dating, but that I’m not dating anyone.

“Ryker, I—”

“I’ll watch over you,” he cuts in. “I’ll stay out here on the balcony, but I’m not leaving you alone. Not now that I’ve found you again.”

From between gritted teeth, I tell him, “I don’t need your protection.”

His eyes sparkle mischievously. “Oh?”

That should’ve been my first warning. I haven’t seen Ryker this unguarded since the pack meet when I was twenty, he was twenty-two, and we spent the whole night talking under the stars as I fell further and further in love with the future Alpha.

“The parasites that run this city of yours don’t want any trouble with the pack,” he reminds me. Thanks, Roman. “I’m allowed to stay as long as I behave myself. Parading around in my fur? That probably isn’t what they expect. What do you think?”

My immediate response—”Don’t call the Cadre parasites”—is cut off with a frustrated growl when, before I can guess what he’s about to do, Ryker shifts on the spot.

The clothes he was wearing seconds ago rip and shred and just about slap me in the face. I wasn’t expecting him to shift so close to me, and I jump away, landing in a crouch with one hand pressed against the balcony door.

With a smug look on his wolf’s muzzle, Ryker settles down. He deserves to be smug, too. Unless I want to physically pick him up and toss him off the fire escape, he’s not going to leave that spot until he wants to.

I scowl. “That was a dick move, Ryker.”

He cocks his head and, as a wolf, barks out another laugh that isn’t so different from the one he has when he’s human.

Still, I’ll always give credit where credit’s due.

As I roll my eyes and stalk back inside of the apartment, I have to admit that he’s definitely won this round.

* * *

I lockmyself in my room and pray to the moon herself that I can just fall asleep and put this night behind me.

It’s tough. I don’t want to think about Ryker’s wolf acting like a sentry out on the balcony which means, of course, that it’s all I dwell on as I toss and turn, waiting to see if I can sense Aleks’s return to the apartment. Hours after I slunk into my room, he still hasn’t come back which just makes me feel worse about the way everything went down.

Even though I was still pretty ticked off with him, I sent him a text that Ryker was out there since I figured he’d appreciate the head’s up. I already knew my roommate wouldn’t be too happy that Ryker made himself at home in our place earlier, but after our argument at Mea Culpa, I was doing my part to smooth things over.

Letting Aleks walk into this whole mess unprepared would be a disaster. I hated the idea that he might think that I got back at him for his comment by inviting Ryker home with me when there was nothing further than the truth. And, up until last night, I never would’ve guessed Aleks would even think something like that—but that was up until last night.

I didn’t expect him to answer me, and I’m pleased when I get a message back within seconds.

I understand. We’ll talk more in the morning.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but as quick to temper as I can be, I’m not the type of chick who likes to go to bed angry. Me and Aleks will hash it out in the morning and we’ll be okay.

Me and Ryker?

That’s a whole other story.

Not surprisingly, Ryker’s gone when I peek out onto the balcony the next morning, leaving only the remains of his tattered clothes behind. My wolf woke me up at around three am when it picked up on Aleks finally coming home. If he was really only watching over me while Aleks was gone, he would’ve left soon after and he obviously did.

That makes me wonder. Since he’s staying in Muncie with Roman’s blessing, I figure he’s not running all the way back to Accalia. He’s gotta be sticking close by. Somewhere he can keep an eye on me and store enough clothes. At the rate he’s going, he’ll run out and then he’ll be stuck wearing his skin with nothing to cover it.

Mm. Naked Ryker—

No. Bad Gem. Don’t think about naked Ryker. That way lays total danger.

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