Page 8 of Cursed Magic (Rejected Fate Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER EIGHT

H e closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his finger still tilting my chin up. When he opened them again, the intensity in his gaze made my breath catch. The gold flecks in his eyes seemed to dance in the dim light of the hallway, drawing me in.

“The last thing I would ever want,” Ryker growled and winced, “is for you to leave.”

My heart skipped a beat, and that damn foolish hope bloomed in my chest despite my best efforts to squash it.

The other three guys began moving away, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Ryker’s.

His thumb caressed my jawline, making me tremble. “Every fiber of my being wants you to stay. To keep you close, to protect you, to…” He trailed off, swallowing hard before continuing. “But being here puts you in constant danger, and I’m willing to let you walk away because it might be the only thing that can save your life.”

My mind reeled as I tried to process his words. The sincerity in his voice and the vulnerability etched across his features were so unexpected that the ground shifted beneath my feet.

The hallway seemed to fade, leaving Ryker and me in our own little bubble. His hand dropped from my chin, but the phantom warmth of his touch lingered. I searched his face, looking for any sign of deception, but found the golden flecks in his eyes pulsing with what could only be described as raw honesty.

My heart raced, and an imprudent part of me wanted to lean into him, to let him chase away the trauma of the night. But another part—the part that still bore the scars of Reid’s rejection—screamed at me to run.

Running wasn’t an option. Briar wanted to stay, and Raven had made me realize that, even though I had good intentions, it wasn’t the right choice. Still, that didn’t mean I wanted to fall for another man. Even if my wolf and my body wanted to be around him.

I took a shaky breath, trying to center myself. The air crackled with unspoken emotions. Emotions I couldn’t address, or they would lead us into unknown territory and might ruin whatever Ryker and I had now.

Yet, Ryker’s scent enveloped me—pine, rain, and something uniquely him. My head spun and my wolf stirred restlessly.

“I…” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “I appreciate your concern. But I’m not leaving. Not now, not when there’s still so much at stake.”

His eyes widened for a brief second before he schooled his expression into neutrality. “What do you mean? The whole time we were searching for Briar, you made it clear that you would be leaving to protect yourselves. That was the plan, and you need to go tonight.”

The urge to step toward him was so hard to fight that I planted my feet on the hardwood floor. “I know what I said, but things have changed. We’re going to remain here and gather proof of who is behind all of this so we can end the slaughter of innocent supernaturals.”

Ryker’s jaw clenched, and the muscles in his neck tightened. “Trust me. I will handle this. If you go, I’ll even give you daily updates. You and your sister need to leave now. I need you to be safe so I can focus and not constantly worry about you.”

Butterflies took flight in my stomach, so to overcompensate, I gave my voice a hard edge. “You can’t even see the enemy. I can . That gives us a small advantage, but only if I stay. If I leave, then Briar and I won’t be here to help protect our friends, and I refuse to be like our so-called allies after Reid rejected me.”

He clenched his hands. “Ember, you don’t seem to understand the danger you’d be putting yourself in. These enemies are unlike anything we’ve ever faced before. Look at what happened tonight. I don’t even understand how we got away.”

“I think Raven and the other vampire guards scared them off with the additional manpower.” My mind raced back to the chaotic escape. “The shadows were everywhere. We couldn’t even rely on our sense of smell to track them because, even when they were right on us, their scent was faint. They chased us when we tried getting to our vehicles.”

I closed my eyes as the vivid memories flooded back. The air had been thick with the acrid smell of fear and blood, punctuated by snarls and screams. Iridescent shadows had darted between the trees, their bodies not clearly detectable except for their head and when they stretched out their arms .

“But then there was this…shift. Like a ripple in the air. The shadows hesitated, some of them even recoiling. The strange feeling I had that night at the park when Simon got away returned, and they couldn’t reach me. There was…like…a barrier between us.”

Ryker scowled. “The witch who cloaks them must have alerted them that the vampires were there to stop them.”

I nodded, the pieces clicking into place. “That makes sense. It would explain the sudden retreat. But it also means they’re more organized than we thought. More dangerous.”

A chill raced down my spine as I considered the implications. These weren’t random attacks but rather a coordinated effort by a group with access to powerful magic. The realization made the night’s events even more terrifying.

“Exactly,” Ryker growled, his eyes flashing. “Which is why you need to leave. Now .” But even as he said it, I could see the conflict in his eyes.

My heart sputtered. I despised how much I loved seeing that he didn’t want me to go. No matter how hard I tried to pull back from him, my heart and wolf still urged me closer. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was my fated mate…but that was impossible. Reid was the one Fate had chosen for me. The twat.

His jaw clenched and unclenched and the muscles in his neck strained again as he fought some internal battle. Despite us not touching, the buzz that so often hummed between us faintly covered my body, drawing me to him despite my best efforts to resist.

When I hesitated to respond, he smirked as if he’d gotten through to me.

Nope . I refused to allow him to believe I’d submitted to his request. He wasn’t my alpha. “I’ve already told you. I’m not leaving. Not now when there’s so much at stake. ”

“Dammit, Ember.” He lifted his fisted hands, and his ab muscles constricted. A new line of crimson appeared on the bandage over his wound. “You don’t understand what you’re getting yourself into. This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about the safety of everyone around you.”

I lifted my chin. “And that’s exactly why I need to stay. How can I turn my back on you, the guys, Raven, and Queen Ambrosia after everything you’ve done for me?” I raised my hands, trying to ignore the way my injury screamed in protest. “And, again, I am the only one who can see these shadows! That alone is reason enough for me to stay and help. “

He hung his head, his broad shoulders slumping. The fight seemed to drain out of him, the fatigue and pain of the day catching up. “You don’t understand,” he breathed. “When you’re in danger, I…I lose my mind. It’s like everything else fades away, and all I can focus on is keeping you and everyone you care about safe. Tonight, when I saw that knife coming for your sister, I didn’t even think. I just moved. Because I knew losing her would destroy you, and I couldn’t bear to see you in that kind of pain.”

A lump formed in my throat. Whatever restraint he’d had before tonight had vanished. He’d lowered his guard and exposed his true feelings.

I realized something just as disturbing, and my knees weakened.

I’d do the same for him. I would risk my life for him and anyone he truly cares about.

Whatever we felt for each other was dangerous, and I had to fight it and keep a level head for both our sakes. “I would’ve never wanted or asked for you to risk your life to protect her. Losing you would be just as painful as losing her.” The last sentence tumbled from my mouth without permission, causing my stomach to churn.

His head jerked back ever so slightly, and a faint grin spread across his face. “Is that so?”

My heart raced, and my wolf stirred. She wanted to embrace him, to bridge the gap between us and offer comfort.

But that was the worst thing the two of us could do. Allowing a relationship like this to become stronger would only cause more problems for us later on.

I had no choice but to hold firm, even if it was the last thing I wanted. My tongue felt heavy as I forced out the words. “Yes, it’s true. Losing you would be devastating. But that’s exactly why we need to stop this .” I pointed at him and then back to myself. “Whatever is happening between us, we can’t let it continue.”

A flicker of hurt flashed across his face and he stilled.

“We have to focus on the bigger picture,” I continued, forcing the words out even as every fiber of my being screamed in protest. “There’s an enemy out there butchering packs, using magic we don’t understand, who probably has a witch that might always be with them. We can’t let our emotions make things even more complicated, no matter how much we want to.”

His expression softened, and he took a step closer to me, increasing the buzz in the air between us. The heat radiating from his body enveloped me, and his scent filled my nose.

“Ember,” he said huskily, “I’ve been trying to fight this since the moment I first saw you at the ceremony where you were to become Reid’s. The reason I was so desperate to leave you after I pulled you from the river was because you tugged at my humanity when I didn’t want the distraction, but thankfully, Kendric, Gage, and Xander showed up and forced my hand. Every day, this connection between us strengthens, and when I woke up in the car after you removed the knife from my side, it intensified tenfold. I can’t keep denying what’s happening between us.”

His fingers ghosted along my cheek. The familiar tingle sent shivers down my spine.

He continued, “Every time we’re together, the fire ignites hotter. My wolf paces in agitation, yearning to be closer to you. The connection between us… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

The words resonated deep within me, waking something primal and undeniable. The air between us seemed to crackle with electricity.

I swayed toward him, drawn by an invisible force bolstered by his admission. My resolve weakened with each passing second, and my wolf howled in frustration as I kept standing in place.

I longed to trace the strong line of his jaw and run my fingers through his dark hair.

Every cell in my body surged to life, wanting me to cave.

But I wouldn’t.

Especially since whatever was brewing between us seemed even stronger than my connection to my fated mate, Reid. It shouldn’t be possible. Yet I couldn’t deny the truth.

Cold tendrils of fear circled my heart. It raced, pounding so hard I was sure Ryker could hear it. My wolf shifted within me, clawing at my insides, desperate to take control.

No , I shouted at her, renewing my determination. Reid’s rejection had destroyed my entire world. If I gave Ryker even more of my heart and soul, how would I survive when he changed his mind?

I averted my gaze to the wood floor and ran my toes over the cold smoothness, trying to focus on anything but the man standing before me, baring his soul. I traced a particularly prominent knot with my big toe, feeling the slight indentation in the otherwise flawless surface.

The chill of the floor seeped into my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth radiating from Ryker’s body. I could feel his gaze on me, intense and unwavering, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes. Instead, I fixated on the thin gap between two planks, imagining I could slip through it and disappear into the foundations of the house, away from this moment and the impossible choice before me.

I winced. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” A knot twisted in my stomach as I waited for his fury and the kind of brash retort I learned to expect from the man I’d first met.

But that wasn’t what I got.

Instead, silence filled the hallway. The tension was so thick a bitter metallic taste sat heavy on my tongue. The spark between us continued to sizzle, which meant he was still there, so I forced myself to lift my head, bracing for anger or disgust.

What I saw damn near shattered my resolve.

Pain had etched deep lines around his eyes and mouth. The golden flecks in his irises had dimmed, and his broad shoulders slumped.

He looked defeated. A disconcerting contrast to the powerful, commanding alpha I’d come to know.

“I understand,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “And that’s why I’ll wait until you’re ready. Until I’ve proven to you that I want you and will always remain by your side.” He let out a shaky breath. “Because I know why you’re saying no. I’ve been doing the same thing when it comes to you, but I learned tonight that if something ever happens to you, it will kill me. So why waste time?”

The raw honesty in his voice made my heart clench painfully. I searched his face, looking for any sign of deception, and waited for the smell of a lie.

I found neither.

The hallway seemed to shrink as he closed the distance between us.

I should’ve stepped back, but when his hands cupped my face, I couldn’t move. The strength of our connection kept me anchored in place.

He licked his full lips, bringing my attention to them.

“I will prove myself to you, lil rebel, but until then, can I kiss you once to get me by?” he murmured.