It was probably close to noon when I finally woke up and decided it was time to get up. I'd been so comfortable lying beside Ryder, his body warm, his heartbeat reassuring, his very presence just a comfort. But I was also very eager to get my cast removed, so I figured it was probably a good idea to get a move on. Ryder was still fast asleep, his breaths soft but deep. He looked so calm and relaxed, it felt like a shame to wake him. I realized this was probably how he felt about waking me up the night before. With gentle fingers, I traced along the curve of his jaw. His skin was soft, but a little stubbly here and there. A smile flickered on his lips, but he didn't stir. "Ryder," I whispered softly, my fingers tracing over his lips now. He smiled again, shifting a little this time as if trying to get comfortable. "We need to get up," I whispered, my touch returning to his jawline. "No..." he groaned miserably, wrapping his arms around me more tightly and snuggling into me. "I nee
The drive to Dr. Kelly's office was a blur of green and grey, the landscape flying past us as Ryder navigated the streets with a familiarity that spoke of his years living in the area. Every now and again he would glance over at me, a soft smile playing on his lips."What?" I asked as I fumbled for the socks that were tucked away neatly in one of the combat boots at my feet."I'm just looking at you. Am I not allowed?" he asked, his tone one of a challenge.A blush crept over my cheeks, but I replied, "You can look."I tried to pull a sock on, but it was impossible. The cast came too low down on my knuckles and, as a result, my fingers weren't as capable as I needed them to be."Just leave it, I'll help you when we get there," he assured me before resting his hand on my thigh as we sped along the narrow roads.I smiled as I rested my casted hand over his.With a sigh, I watched out the window looking at the grey sky above us. My thoughts made their way to Tyler and I wondered what he
He set his tools down and peeled off his gloves, heading over to the lightbox with the X-ray mounted on it. His eyes scanned over the image thoughtfully and carefully before he looked at me. "It looks perfect. The bones align well and the break appears to have healed. I assume the pain you experienced yesterday may have been muscular," he suggested. "You said it's subsided now though, is that correct?" he asked, seeking clarity. "Yeah, it's fine today. No complaints at all," I went on, flexing my fingers in the cast. "Well then, if you're ready, I'd be happy to remove the cast for you," he replied with the tiniest hint of a smile. I smiled in return and nodded, "I'd love that," I replied. The removal went well. There were no hiccups and Ryder stood beside me the entire time, which was an immense comfort. When we left Dr Kelly's office, I noted that Mary was nowhere to be seen. Can't say it broke my heart or anything like that. As we made our way to the coffee shop next door, Ryd
This seemed to bring a smile to his face. With newfound enthusiasm, he climbed out of his car, then came around to open the door for me and help me out. I looked around for Tyler's car, but there was no sign of it. Still, it could have been in the garage, I hoped. The thought was short-lived though, as Ryder took my hand and all but dragged me into the forest that surrounded his house. It started to drizzle as we trekked deeper in, then he turned around and announced, "This is a good spot," as he started to pull up his shirt. I turned around quickly, pulling my own damp shirt up over my head as I kicked my shoes off. "Are you serious? You know I've seen you naked, right?" he asked with a chuckle. "I know," I replied nonchalantly, my back still turned as I unhooked my bra and slid my pants off along with my underwear. "So then... what is the issue here?" he asked. He sounded simultaneously confused and mildly offended. I didn't want to answer, so instead, I shifted into my wolf
"What do you mean?" Ryder asked curiously."I mean, I had a dream about you, and I saw these tattoos, well, at least the placement of them. I was really mad at you in the dream and I wasn't really paying much attention to anything but how angry I was," I explained, my gaze still firmly planted on the gargoyle as if it were taunting my sanity."You had a dream about me?" Ryder asked, completely glossing over the part about me having been angry with him and the fact that I was having dreams that turned out to be premonitions."Don't be silly now. I'm being serious," I scolded him."What kind of dream? Was it, like, a sexy dream?" he asked, ignoring my plea."I'm serious, Ryder. Something feels weird about this," I pressed, feeling like he was treating this like it was trivial."Relax," he brushed me off. "Maybe you saw it in a photograph or maybe it was a lucky guess. It's not like I'm the only person on the planet to have this particular tattoo placement. You're reading into it too muc
"Why?" he asked me, his voice ringing with concern and suspicion. "Because I need to talk to him. I left my phone in your car, I need to call him," I went on, taking long strides back the way we'd come as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. The rain was coming down harder now and I was drenched within moments after leaving the shelter of the dense pine tree. He chased after me, spinning me around by the shoulder. "Come on, Kate. Don't do anything stupid now," he said, giving me a searching look as he tried to figure out what I was thinking. I snatched my shoulder away. "I just want to talk to him," I insisted, walking on through the pouring rain, determined to somehow get to him. "Kate!" he called after me as I stalked through the forest. I heard his footsteps behind me, snapping twigs with just about every step he took until he overtook me this time, standing in front of me and blocking my path. "Please move," I murmured with a sniff. He shook his head. "Listen to me, I don't kn
He led me back to the house in silence, as the rain came down endlessly. We stopped briefly to get our clothes. I don't remember dressing, but when I arrived at the house, I was wearing everything I'd come in, save for my shoes and socks. Ryder ushered me down the hallway towards his room, opening the door for me then leading me into the bathroom. He turned the water on while I shivered relentlessly, then helped me undress and gently urged me beneath the spray of hot water. "I'll be right back. Will you be okay?" he asked. "Yeah," I replied flatly. Slowly, the warmth of the water began to permeate my skin, defrosting me more and more the longer I stood beneath the cascading stream. Gradually, my dark mood began to lift slightly as my body fought off the icy chill of the rain. "All okay?" Ryder's voice echoed through the steamy air. "All okay," I confirmed with a nod, even though he probably couldn't see me through the frosted glass door. I stood there for a long time, allowing
He sighed, his guard dropping as he nodded.With gentle fingers he reached out for me, grabbing a fistful of the hoodie I was wearing as he tugged me towards him.I went along without complaint, grateful when he wrapped his arms around me more tightly this time. I buried myself against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and finding comfort in it.At least I had him.We stood like that for a long time and I felt absolute relief that I'd somehow managed to navigate this near disaster. I couldn't imagine him rejecting me. It almost felt like a heartbreaking inevitability with Tyler, but with Ryder... I think he was right... we were meant to be.I yawned against his chest and he chuckled as I snuggled against him."Are you tired?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to the top of my damp head."A little," I admitted, feeling guilty about it. It felt like I spent most of our time together sleeping lately."What about hungry?" he probed."I could eat," I confessed, acknowledging that the crois