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Ryker said he would help me, and he has been, but somewhere along the way I started coming for more than that. Or maybe I'd always come for more and just couldn't admit it until now.

“I come here for you!” I snap, and he rears back as if I slapped him.

“What?” he whispers, and I can hear the disbelief in his voice, his eyes wide as he looks at me as if he's never seen me before.

“You saved me. You found a girl in the woods, and instead of being the villain you're so convinced you are, you helped me. You brought me back to your house and fed me, gave up your bed to let me sleep. Do you know how easy it would have been for you to hand me over to your father on a silver platter? The guys weren't even in this realm yet. I told you I was beastless and defenseless, and you chose to protect me." For every step I take toward him, he matches me, stepping backward, away from me, but he can only run so far.

Eventually, he will have to face me.

Tears fill my eyes, both in frustration and sadness, as I look at him, willing him to see what I do.

He's not the villain, just someone who was misguided by a man he should have been able to trust.

He huffs a laugh, shaking his head.

“I had no idea who you were, or that he was looking for you.”

“Don't pretend that would have made a difference, it hasn't so far!"

His eyes narrow, and I know I've hit a nerve.

Good.

“I’ve killed people, Serena,” he hisses through clenched teeth, taking a step toward me as if he might intimidate me.

He should know better by now.

“So have I!” My voice rings out around the clearing, reminding me of the late hour. Thankfully, we're far from the village and anyone else; it's just us out here.

Ryker’s quiet for a minute, and I think I caught him off guard.

“That’s not the same, and you know it.”

He tries to move away again, and this time, I let his cloak drop before darting around him to stand in his way.

“I’m not doing this with you, Serena. I’m not good for you. I’m not good for anyone. You have mates who are good, who love you. You don’t need me.” His voice is low by the end, hardly more than a whisper and nothing like the man I've come to know. I hate this. Hate that he thinks he doesn't deserve love or anything in life all because of his father.

“You don’t get to decide that,” I say, shoving him back toward the center of the clearing. I won't let him run away from this, from me. “You can’t just deem yourself unlovable based on choices that weren’t your own and expect me to follow suit.”

“Stop it!” he shouts, looking down at me, and I glare back at him. “You don’t know what I’ve done, how many people I’ve hurt.” His chest heaves, and his eyes are wild. “You don’t know the monster.”

I hold his gaze, not backing down.

“I don’t see a monster.”

He’s so much taller than me that I need to use my shadows, but they jump to my aid as I press up on my tiptoes and seal my lips to his.

Ryker freezes, and I expect him to push me away. I know this is a long shot, but I can’t help the way I feel, regardless of his past. I know he’s good. I feel it the same way I feel a pull to him that I can't explain.

He doesn't move, not to kiss me back or to move away, and I try to swallow my bruised ego as I pull back, but he doesn't let me go far. His arm bands around my waist, pulling me to him so that we’re chest to chest. Our breathing mixes as he looks down at me as if he's never seen me before. His eyes trace over my face with such intensity that I have to fight the urge to look away as a blush colors my cheeks.

It was just a kiss.

His eyes dart back down to my lips as I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. It's a nasty habit, but I can't help it, not when he's looking at me like that.

"I..."

Fuck, I don't know what I was going to say, but I don't need to worry about it as he leans in, once again pressing our lips together, gently, almost tentatively.