Page 21 of Cursed Magic (Rejected Fate Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“ S o now you want to talk?” His voice was sharp and harsh. “Right when we’re getting ready to go fucking fight?”

My pulse quickened, and I forced myself to hold his gaze. “I wanted to talk to you the other night, but when Briar came into the room, you left.”

He bared his teeth. “I stuck around after eating that steak, but you never joined me. In fact, you never came out of the bedroom.”

The distance between us felt like a chasm, and my chest tightened. He had actually waited for me.

“I’ve been out here for three days, and right before we potentially have to find a witch, you decide it’s time to talk?” He crossed his arms, his chest muscles taut beneath the fabric of his shirt. “If this is how you make yourself feel better before facing another threat, don’t bother.” He moved toward the door, passing right by me.

Snatching his arm, I turned him to face me, the jolt of the connection stronger than ever. My wolf surged forward, insistent I never let him go. “That’s not fair.” My voice cracked. “I didn’t know you waited on me.”

He pulled his arm out of my grip, his eyes a stormy haze. “That’s what I do, Ember, ever since I realized I can’t fight what I feel for you anymore. Wait on you. Chase you. But when it comes down to it, you’re the one who keeps pushing me away. I bared my heart to you, and you told me you weren’t ready. I respected that while holding out hope. Not anymore.”

His words cut deep, and I struggled to find my voice. “I don’t mean to push you away.” My breathing was uneven. “I was confused. After everything that happened…after you didn’t tell me about the magic…I didn’t know if I could trust you.”

For a moment, he just stood there, jaw clenched tight enough that I thought it might shatter. Then his expression gentled slightly. “You think this is all about me keeping secrets? You had one of your own.”

He turned again, ready to end the conversation, but something in him hesitated long enough for me to close the gap between us.

“If I had told you that Raven talked to me about detecting magic on you, it would’ve meant you’d never be able to tell me yourself. I wanted you to confide in me and your pack. I kept hoping you would, but you never even seemed close to it.”

“It’s not something I’m proud of.” He rubbed his jaw. “At first, I didn’t care. I just didn’t want the guys to know what I’d done because they’d worry. Finding whoever did this to my pack and our late royals was the priority. Nothing else mattered…until you came along. I should’ve known—you’re a damn troublemaker.” The corners of his lips tipped upward .

My heart skipped a beat. I tried to ignore the flutters because we had to work through these issues. “I wanted you to be open with me.”

He lifted both hands. “Why? All it would do was give you another reason to push me away.”

A knife pierced my heart. “That’s not fair. My pack was slaughtered, my sister was missing, and all I wanted to do was find her and take her someplace safe. The last person I trusted killed everyone I loved.”

He huffed. “Now I get what they say about the Sinclairs.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I stumbled back.

“That when things get complicated, you run. Royal blood or not, you aren’t cut out to deal with anything messy. You hide and wait for the conflict to be over.”

That hit a little too close to home. “Oh, so you get upset with me for believing rumors about you, but now you’re using rumors against me.”

His eyes flared. “They’re not rumors if they’re true, are they? You told me that was your plan. Get your sister and disappear.”

Heat rose in my cheeks. “You asked me to leave! When I stayed, you were the one who told me to go.”

“Of course I did!” His voice thundered in my ears. “I wanted you to be safe. That’s the most important thing to me. I fucking lo–!” He winced, closing his mouth.

My heart lurched into my throat. Had he been about to say he loved me?

The words hung between us, and my head spun. His chest heaved with each breath, and he stood, vulnerable, in front of me.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to see you fight your way in and out of my life?” He spoke softer now, but the words still had an edge that cut deep. “You’re all I think about, Ember, even when I should be focused on keeping my pack alive. I fucking took a knife to save your sister because I couldn’t bear the thought of you losing her.”

A wave of conflicting emotions crashed over me. My wolf begged for me to close the distance between us again, but I was scared he’d reject me once more.

“I can’t live without you either,” I whispered.

His eyes widened, and his jaw clenched. “Then stop playing with me. Stop making me think I’m crazy for feeling this way and that it’s one-sided.”

I hated that he felt that way. My resolve broke, and I took a trembling breath. “I feel the same way about you, Ryker. It’s definitely not one-sided.”

Something unreadable crossed his face, and then he stalked forward, his attention focused on my lips.

Even though kissing him was the one thing I wanted to do, we hadn’t truly resolved any of our problems. If he touched me, I’d forget that we still had an issue that would continue to fester.

I must have shied away because his expression fell, and he looked wounded all over again. He turned away and stepped around me to head inside.

“Please don’t go,” I rasped, clutching his arm. “It’s not what you—”

“Tell me what you want from me, Ember.” His voice was hoarse, cracking under the weight of everything unsaid. “I’ll do whatever you want. I just need to know what that is. I can’t keep doing this.”

My throat tightened. “I want you to tell me the complete truth. I need to hear it all from you. I can’t move forward unless we can both trust each other.”

Our gazes locked, and the world stood still .

He released a long, shuddering sigh. “All right. I’ll tell you everything.”

The certainty in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. He reached for my hand, hesitating as if testing whether I would pull away again.

This time, I didn’t. I was just as exhausted as him. I missed his touch… No, I craved it. I felt peace only when I touched or was close to him. I clasped his hand.

“After the attack on the royals, the only emotions I could feel were anger and pain. Some days, it was hard to function…to even get out of bed. Other days, my anger got the best of me. Nothing mattered except finding whoever did it, but I wasn’t able to hold it together to actually make progress.

“One day, while we were eating in the kitchen here, Queen Ambrosia mentioned a witch nearby with the ability to manipulate the soul to help people focus on their end goals.” His thumb rubbed against my wrist as he continued, “So, at the first opportunity, I went into the study and looked into it. I learned that a witch with that ability could cast a spell to take away my humanity.” The words were raw, filled with something close to shame. “I asked Raven a question about the witch Ambrosia had mentioned, remarking that I knew witches usually tried to remain hidden. Raven made a comment about a possible location, and I was able to figure out where to find the witch. I found her, and she said she could cloak my soul so that I could focus on my end goal. All I had to do was give her some of my blood. I did.”

He paused and examined my reaction.

I struggled to swallow, and I tried to school my expression, but my heart was breaking for him. I squeezed his hand tighter, wanting him to know I was on his side. “Is it still affecting you?”

“Yes, but it’s getting weaker.” He licked his lips. “And I think I know why.”

His gaze burned into mine as I breathed, “Why?”

“Because you’re my fated mate, Ember. That trumps everything, even this spell.”

My heart stilled. I waited for disbelief to hit, but it didn’t. Somehow, some way, Ryker being my fated mate made sense. But at the same time…it didn’t. “Reid’s rejection—”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re mine, Ember. I don’t understand it either, but I’m so fucking glad you’re the one made for me,” he said fervently. “I should’ve realized it sooner. No matter what I do or how far you run, we’re drawn back to each other.”

The truth of his words resonated deep within me, and the walls I’d built to protect myself crumbled when they should’ve gotten stronger. But with Ryker, I wasn’t scared. The fated-mate bond with Reid had never felt this secure.

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch gentle despite the tension between us. “If we have each other, the rest doesn’t matter.”

All the strain left my body. “You’re right. I’m sorry for not telling you when Raven informed me—”

He shook his head, cutting me off. “No, it’s my fault. I should’ve confided in you when my feelings for you couldn’t be ignored any longer. I should’ve been honest about what I’d done. I just was afraid you wouldn’t look at me the same, and that thought petrified me.”

“I’d never be able to look at you differently. Even though it doesn’t make sense to me, I do believe you’re my other half, and I’m tired of fighting it.”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss me, but I placed a hand on his chest, holding him back.

He grimaced, so I quickly said, “I want to kiss you. I do.” Hell, I wanted to do a lot more than that with him. I was finally done fighting what was brewing between us. These last three days had been pure hell. “But first, is there anything else you’ve hidden from me?”

“Nothing.” His gaze held mine with unwavering intensity, and the lack of sulfur confirmed he wasn’t lying. “What about you?”

My mouth dried. This was it. However, I didn’t want to make him more of a target than he already was. “I’ve told you everything, but Ryker, there’s something wrong with me. It might be for the best if you still keep your distance. I mean, I can see the enemy, and Reid said at the–”

“Dammit, Ember. There is nothing wrong with you. Can’t you see that Reid only said that to make you look weak so his pack could try to take control?” His nostrils flared. “I’ll make him pay for what he did to you—for all we know, his witch cast some spell on you to make you see these things, so you’ll believe you’re losing your mind.” His irises glowed as his own wolf peeked through. “I’m not fucking going anywhere. Do you understand?”

Even though my head screamed don’t , my heart and soul believed him. At barely a whisper, I said, “I do.”

Relief washed over his features as he drew me closer with a raw urgency that ignited every cell in my body. He rasped, “No more secrets.” Our chests pressed together, and his warm, minty breath hit my lips. “I really need to kiss you right now.”

This time, I didn’t hold back. My mouth met his fiercely, and the world disappeared. Only the two of us existed .

Heat coursed through me as his hands tangled in my hair and pulled me closer, erasing any distance between us. His lips moved against mine with a ferocity that should’ve scared me, but it only fueled my own.

I kissed him back hard, my fingers digging into his arms like he might disappear if I didn’t hold on tight enough. Even if I wanted to stop, I couldn’t. Electricity shot between us, and a knot of need twisted deep inside me.

The bond roared to life, powerful and undeniable. My wolf howled in triumph, urging me to claim him and let nothing stand in the way of what we were meant to be. He backed me toward the trees, and within seconds, my shoulders hit rough bark while his body pressed against mine.

He rained kisses down my face until his lips pressed against the base of my neck. His teeth grazed the artery where I craved for him to bite me. “We should stop,” he groaned as his hands slid underneath the hem of my shirt.

He couldn’t be serious. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I needed him to fill me…to claim me…to mix his scent with mine. Yet, if he wasn’t ready, it wasn’t fair for me to push him. “Do you want to?” Still, my hands eased under his shirt, and my nails dug into his back.

He shuddered, making me feel so damn powerful.

“Ember, you deserve better than forming the bond outside the vampire mansion when we’re both drunk with lust.” His teeth dug a little bit deeper into my neck despite his protests. “We should be alone, with no chance of anyone interrupting us.”

If that was what he was worried about, then it wasn’t an issue. I didn’t think my wolf would allow me to wait another minute. I freed my left hand and pressed his face harder against my neck, ready to feel the sting of his teeth inside me .

He growled, catching my hand and pulling it down to my side. His tongue caressed where he’d drawn a little blood, and heat seared through me. His other hand moved under my bra, cupping my breast. “It’s your turn to be patient,” he murmured, his voice rough with desire.

A shiver of pleasure raced through me even as I moaned in protest. His thumb brushed over my nipple, and my breath caught. I grew dizzy. This man knew exactly how to unravel me.

“Patient?” At this point, I wasn’t above begging. “I’ve been patient for way too long.”

His chest rumbled against mine in a satisfied laugh before he kissed me again, and his other hand slid underneath the waist of my sweatpants. His fingers immediately slid between my folds and found the right spot.

No one had ever known my body so well before, and this was his first time touching me this way.

“When we complete the bond, I want it to be perfect.”

He circled faster and harder, already building tension inside me. I followed his lead, sliding my hands under his waistband and grabbing him.

Ryker groaned into my neck, his hips bucking as I stroked him in time with his fingers. His muscles responded beneath my touch, and I longed for more. I tugged at his jeans, needing him free so he could get inside me.

“Fuck,” he gasped, pressing me harder against the tree. I could feel how close he was to losing control, and it thrilled me.

I tried to spin him so he was against the tree and I could take charge, but he caught my arm.

“No.” He pressed harder against me and growled, “Not like this. Not when another man could come out here and see you naked. ”

I quivered at his possessiveness, and excitement shot through me.

“You don’t seem to mind someone watching you pleasure me while my clothes are on, though,” I teased as I quickened my pace.

His fingers worked me faster, and I lost all sense of anything except how damn good his hand felt. “That’s different.” His eyes burned into mine, and my wolf bayed at the raw desire written across his features.

My body coiled tight as I got closer and closer to release. He swallowed hard as I moved my hand over him, building the same tension inside him. “Ember…” He groaned my name like a warning just before I shattered beneath his touch.

My body shook as his name ripped from my throat. My legs went weak, but the tree and Ryker’s body kept me upright.

I gripped him tighter, knowing I had to finish him, demanding he come at the same time. My own ecstasy strengthened. His muscles strained, and he buried his face against my shoulder as he grunted with his own release.

Our hands stilled, our breaths coming out in ragged gasps, but everything had already begun building inside me again. This wasn’t enough. He had to be in me.

“I saw fucking stars, lil rebel.” He chuckled, peppering kisses all along my face.

“Imagine what it’ll feel like when we complete our bond.” I leaned back and kissed him once more, enjoying the way our tongues collided.

But then Briar linked, Ember, we’ve got to go. Something went wrong.