Chapter 11

As we entered the house, Ryker's thunderous voice echoed through the halls, sending shivers down my spine. "Who was the guard in charge of her room?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with fury.

The guards assembled before us, their faces pale and trembling with fear. One of them, a burly man with a thick beard, stepped forward, his eyes darting nervously between Ryker and me.

"I-I was, sir," he stuttered, his voice shaking like a leaf.

I had never seen a man so big, so scared in my entire life.

Ryker's gaze narrowed, his eyes boring into the guard's very soul. "You were in charge of her room, and yet she managed to escape," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "How do you explain that?"

The guard swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "I-I don't know, sir. I must have fallen asleep at my post."

Ryker's expression turned glacial, his eyes flashing with anger, but it was only for a fleeting moment, and a sardonic smile spread across his lip. "You fell asleep at your post?" he repeated coldly. "You're lucky I'm feeling merciful today. Otherwise, you'd be facing a far worse punishment."

The guard's eyes widened in terror as Ryker raised his hand, his fingers curled into a fist. I felt a surge of fear, wondering what Ryker was going to do to the poor man.

Time slowed to a stop as I watched the grotesque scene unfold in front of me.

But instead of hitting him, Ryker simply touched the guard's forehead, his fingers pressing against the man's skin. The guard let out a blood-curdling scream as his body began to contort, his limbs twisting and turning in ways that seemed impossible.

I watched in horror, my eyes fixed on the guard's writhing form. What was Ryker doing to him? The guard's screams grew louder, more intense, until finally, he collapsed to the ground, his body limp and lifeless falling with a loud thud.

I swallowed the scream that was building up in my throat.

Nobody said a word. Nobody batted an eye. It was almost like a regular scene in this house, as the other guards moved around casually to “clean it up”, as per Ryker’s orders.

Ryker turned to me, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. "Let this be a lesson to you, Arianna," he growled, his voice a low and deadly growl. "I will not be disobeyed. And those who fail me will be punished accordingly. I’m not known for leniency.”

I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t breathe. I was paralyzed with fear, my heart was pounding so loudly in my ears, I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone saw it beating through my shirt.

I had never seen anyone punished like that before. The guard's screams still echoed in my mind, making my skin crawl.

As Ryker dragged me upstairs, I caught glimpses of the other guards and maids watching us with sympathetic eyes. They seemed to pity me, to feel sorry for me. But I didn't want their pity. I wanted my freedom.

Ryker stopped in front of a door, pointing to the opposite door. "That's my room," he growled, his eyes glinting with warning. "And this..." He pushed open the door, revealing a luxurious bedroom with a large bed and a beautifully carved dresser, made for a queen. "...is yours. At least, for now."

My feet moved mechanically as Ryker pushed me into the room, his hands firm on my elbow. "I'll be increasing security around you, Arianna," he growled coldly. "We don’t want what happened this evening repeating itself now, do we?”

“You….you killed him,” I stuttered in a voice so low I could barely even hear myself through the loud thumping of my heart.

Ryker stared at me blankly like I had lost my mind, then I snapped.

“You killed that man!” I yelled, the vibration going through my whole body as I shook in both fear and anger.

“Oh, that,” Ryker flicked his fingers like it was just another Saturday. “I didn’t kill him,” he said, then tilted his head to the side to stare at me. “You did. You killed him.”

My heart stopped beating, and I stumbled, feeling my legs about to give in.

“If you hadn’t pulled that little stunt, he would still be alive. He would have gone home later to laugh and play with his maids and kids. He would….”

“Stop! Stop it!” I yelled at the top of my lungs with my palms pressed flat against my ears.

I couldn’t believe it. He was blaming me. And worst of all, I couldn’t shut the tiny voice that sounded very much like his in my head, telling me there was a truth in his words.

I’d killed that man. He was dead because of me!

My chest was heaving, but I couldn’t breathe. I snapped my eyes shot as I struggled through the mild panic attack.

Ryker's hands tightened on my shoulders, his fingers digging deep into my skin as he shook me back to the present. "You're mine now, Arianna," he growled. "And you'll do exactly as I say."

My heart burned with anger and hatred like I’d never felt before. I never thought it was possible to hate anyone more than I did Derrick, but this man was giving Derrick a run for his money every second.

But before I could say anything, Ryker pushed me down onto the plush bed, his hands firm on my shoulders.

I landed with a soft thud, my body bouncing on the mattress. I looked up at Ryker, and there was something in his eyes that dared me not to move.

I lay on the bed, my body tense and rigid as Ryker crawled up my body. His eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity, his gaze burning with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl. The air was thick with tension, and the only sound that could be heard was my ragged breathing.

"Your life, your soul, your body," he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. "All of these things belong to me now, Arianna. I paid the price for you. The very air you breathe belongs to me. You would do well to remember that."

With each word, he pressed his lips to my skin, his kisses sending shivers down my spine. I tried to fight back the tears, but they pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. My heart was racing, my pulse pounding in my ears like a drumbeat.

Ryker's hands roamed over my body, his fingers tracing the curves of my waist and hips. His touch was like a flame, burning bright and hot, and I couldn't help but feel drawn to it.

"You're mine now, Arianna," Ryker whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "You'll never be able to escape me. Never be able to run away."

Inwanted to scream, I wanted to tell him to get off me, I wanted to tell him I’d never belong to a monster, but Ryker's lips closed over mine, silencing me.

His kiss was fierce and possessive, his tongue pushing into my mouth and claiming mine as his own. My body erupted with pleasure, my body responding to his touch, and I had to grip the sheets so tight my knuckles turned white, to keep from instinctively running my fingers through his silky hair.

Ryker's hands roamed over my body, his fingers tracing the curves of my breasts and the dip of my hips. His hands were like fire, burning every inch of skin he touched, and at that moment, the thin line between hate and want became blurred.

"You're so beautiful, Arianna," Ryker whispered, his elongated fangs grazing my neck in a way that made a knot tighten in my nether region. "So perfect. And you're all mine."

I bit my lips so hard I tasted blood, to stop any sound from coming out, but a treacherous whimper escaped my lips.

Ryker stopped what he was doing, and his seemed to bore into my soul, as if he could see the very depths of my fear. And then, without another word, he stood up, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Remember, Arianna," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "You belong to me now. And if you ever try to run away again, you'll wish you were never born."

And just like that, his words were the buckets of ice cold water over my head I needed to snap me back to the reality of the monster he was.

I sat up, scrambling to the head of the bed, needing to keep as much distance between us as humanly possible. I knew that Ryker was a man of his word, and if I ever tried to escape again, he would make sure that I paid the price.

Ryker’s eyes roamed my body once more like hot coals, and without another word, he turned and walked away, slamming the door behind him, leaving me drenched in fear, sweat, and an unfamiliar wetness between my legs.