Page 189 of Cruelly Bitten

We’ll talk soon.

I narrowed my gaze at the screen.How do I even know this is Ryder?I typed back.You should probably call to confirm.

Visual tech is just as manipulatable as texts,Ryder replied within seconds.Besides, I hate phone calls. All that talk, talk, talk, when it could all be wrapped up in a few sentences. Such as the above.

That was a lot of words for someone who claims to dislike talking,I returned.

Because you keep replying.

Because I don’t believe it’s you.Which was sort of a lie. I could practically hear his snark coming off each word.

I stared at the screen expectantly, half anticipating Ryder’s face to appear. Rather than leave the room, Raelyn joined me on the bed. The wolves were murmuring amongst themselves in the suite, clearly choosing one of the bedrooms for themselves.

There were three total, all of them masters in their own way.

Raelyn and I had chosen this one for the lakefront terrace. I suspected the shifters would want the woodsy option since we were on the ground floor and they might want to go for a run in wolf form.

Willow wants to know if Rae remembers how they used to try to best Silas on exams, prior to them all becoming friends.

The message scrolled across the screen, causing Raelyn to laugh, her mind unleashing a variety of memories of the two of them trying to sabotage Silas’s efforts on exams. When those exams turned sexual in nature, however, I growled.

Raelyn cleared her throat. “Tell her I remember pointing out how she and Silas were the same person.”

I fought the urge to grin, immediately understanding why she’d chosen that reply as I typed it back to Ryder.

His response came a few seconds later.Yeah, except Silas and Rae were the similar ones, and Willow was the one who said it out loud. Which led to their friendship.

Raelyn nodded. “At least you know you’re talking to Ryder now. No one else would ever care about those details or know about them.”

“I care,” I argued.

“You know what I mean.”

I did, but it’d been worth saying to her.

When will you be back?I sent to Ryder, driving us back to the point of the conversation.

In twenty-four hours,he returned immediately.

Don’t die,I told him.

I really am starting to think you like me, Kylan. As more than just an ally.

Return and find out,I taunted him.

That sounds suspiciously like a threat, as well as a date,he mused.

I only date Raelyn.

I only date Willow,he immediately sent back.

Why are we still talking?I demanded.

Because you keep fucking replying.

I shut off the screen with a growl and found Raelyn smiling at me, her humor warming our bond. My eyes narrowed at her now instead of Ryder. “Keep looking at me like that, little lamb, and I’m going to eat you.”

“Promise?” she asked before leaping out of reach and running for the door.