And his face…
Storms passed through his eyes, and fury radiated from his features.
Brynleigh’s legs decided they could no longer hold her weight. Her heart flipped, and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground.
All her aches, pains, and all-too-human woes returned ten times worse than before. She clawed at the cold dirt beneath her and heaved in a breath.
This was too much, too hard, and she was too fucking broken for this.
Tears blurred her vision, and her heart raced.
She had to get on her knees and plead her case. She couldn’t give up. She knew that, yet her body refused to listen to her commands.
It was done, even if she wasn’t.
Her fangs had gone past aching. They were throbbing entities residing in her gums.
Her soul, her body, and her heart were alldone.
Nearby, autumnal leaves crinkled. An owl hooted. Life was in this place.
Brynleigh sucked in as deep of a breath as she could manage, but her lungs didn’t want to fill.
Boots filled her vision as Ryker kneeled over her.
“I fuckinglovedyou, Brynleigh,” he snarled. Each word was clipped. “I Chose you. And youbrokeus. You destroyed us. I hope you’re happy.”
An undercurrent of pain and anger coursed through his words. He was just as hurt, just as broken as her.
“I’m not,” she whispered.
This was about as far from happy as she’d ever been.
“Good. Neither am I,” he growled, balling his fists at his sides. “Get up and come inside. Don’t try to shadow. The house is warded.”
Apparently, that was all he was willing to say.
Ryker straightened, wiped his hands on his jeans, and strode up the porch. He punched in a code to unlock the door and let himself into the house.
The door slammed behind him, the sound echoing through the now-silent forest.
Brynleigh stared at the place where Ryker had stood moments before.
Loved.
The word reverberated through her entire being. Her body. Her heart. Her soul.
It became all she knew. All she could feel. All she heard, again and again and again.
Helovedher.
But not anymore.
Eventually, Brynleigh mustered up enough strength to rise to her feet. She stumbled after him, half-surprised that the door opened when she turned the handle.
The house was small but quaint. Ryker’s back was to her when she entered. He was tense, gripping the back of a kitchen chair, and he didn’t turn around.
“The bedroom is down the hallway on the left,” he saidgruffly. “You can use the bathroom, but don’t go anywhere else. There should be clothes in the dresser. Take your pick.”