Prologue

It had been three months since Megan left me and I still couldn’t understand why. I had a void in my chest, a void that Megan used to fill, but now it was just empty. I hadn’t lashed out or broken anything. I had gone home and packed all her clothes and stored it in the basement.

Her phone had gone straight to voicemail and after that day I didnt call her again. I was done begging and trying. Abeloth was quiet too, he was fuming and confused and his emotions ranged from hot to cold.

Over the course of that first week I had gotten rid of every trace of her in my life. It wasn’t just the humiliation of being stood up in front of my lair, my family and friends. It was the fact that she couldn’t even be bothered to tell me to my face. She had chosen the easy way out, packed some of her clothes and just left, again.

I had thought that we were fine, we rarely fought, I’d declined two assignments from Wentworth and focused on Megan and our future together. I had placed her ring in my personal safe, at the back, where I didn’t have to see it but she was everywhere.

Beyond the hurt, I was angry and pissed off. So I reverted back to my default setting. I shrugged off the pitying looks from people and focused on my lair and our businesses. I became more ruthless, less forgiving and I tried to erase her by drinking more and caring less.

I was back to being the old Ryder, the Ryder before Megan, the Ryder that walked into a bar alone but didn’t leave alone. I made sure not to fool around with anyone that was a part of my lair. I didn’t want some overprotective father knocking on my door because I’d ruined his little girl’s reputation. I stayed away from dragonkin women in general.

It didn’t help much, no matter how hard I tried to kid myself. Her memory didn’t go away but I’d be damned if I’d let it rule me or consume me. It didn’t feel like anybody understood what I was going through and Link and Emily watched me with wary eyes.

Each day became a little easier as Abeloth tried not to think about her and that helped a lot. It kept me sane. I wasn’t prepared though for the twists my life would take. Thinking back I don’t think I could’ve been prepared, no matter what.

I certainly couldn’t blame anyone but myself. They were my choices, my path, my burden to carry. Melissa was pregnant with their first child and Lucas had stepped down and let Chase take over the reins. It was a good change because Chase had been ready since we turned sixteen.

Wentworth had sent me a case, not a file, just a one-pager. It kept sitting in my inbox and stared at me and for once in my life I wasn’t interested in taking on an assignment. I felt almost depressed and lethargic.

I was in a slump and I had to get out of it. That’s when my team arrived on my doorstep and refused to take no for an answer. The real Ryder had to live again. I would rise to the top even if I had to do it alone.

It’s funny how life turns out. I was always the good guy, believing in love. I was willing to do whatever it took and now I was the only one not bonded, not married and not having a kid on the way. The one thing life couldn’t take from me though was that I was Ryder Grey, Ryder the hunter and Ryder the Sire.

I’d leave my own mark on this world, my own way.