Page 14 of Riding with the Shifter

Jason yelps, his fingers spasming open as Ryder wrenches his arm away from me. I stumble back, rubbing my bruised flesh as Ryder positions himself between me and my ex.

“Zara, baby, you okay?” he asks, never taking his eyes off Jason.

“I’m fine,” I manage, my voice shaking. “Just… get rid of him, please.”

My man nods, his jaw tight with barely contained rage. “With pleasure.”

He turns back to Jason, his face twisting into a snarl. In the span of a heartbeat, his teeth elongate, his eyes flashing from blue to amber, his fingers lengthening into razor sharp claws.

My breath catches in my throat, still shaken, but also in awe, and maybe a little turned on…

Jason lets out a strangled cry, his eyes going wide as he staggers back, stumbling over his own feet. He falls flat on his ass, scrambling away from Ryder like a crab.

“What the fuck?” he gasps, his voice high and panicked. “What the fuck are you?”

Ryder’s lips curl back, revealing his fangs as he stalks toward Jason. “Your worst nightmare, motherfucker.”

He steps forward, crowding into Jason’s space until the other man is forced to stumble back. Then he’s on top of him, pinning him to the ground, his claws pressing into the soft flesh of his throat.

Tears stream down Jason’s face. He chokes out, “please, don’t hurt me. Please.”

“Oh no, I’m gonna fucking hurt you. Make you pay for what you put my girl through, and what you just did.”

My stomach lurches as Ryder’s claws dig into the flesh of Jason’s neck, drawing blood. I should be horrified, but the truth is… I’m not. I’m angry. Furious that this piece of shit thinks he can barge back into my life and treat me like this.

But I still step forward, my hand resting on Ryder’s shoulder. “Don’t kill him,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion. “He’s not worth it. Just let him go. Please.”

Ryder’s shoulders tense under my touch, and for a moment I think he’s going to ignore me. But then, his gaze locks on mine, the rage in his eyes shifting into something softer, more protective.

“For you,” he says, his voice low and rough. “Anything.”

Then, with one last, menacing growl, he hauls Jason to his feet and tosses him away. Jason stumbles, tripping over his own feet before righting himself.

“Listen, you worm-dicked little fuck. I’m only gonna say this once. Zara is not your wife, not your baby, not your fucking anything. She’s my woman. She chose me.”

Jason opens his mouth to reply, but Ryder cuts him off with a snarl that sounds more animal than human.

“Not fucking done,” he growls, his voice dropping to a guttural low that sends shivers down my spine. “You come near her again, you so much as breathe in her direction… and I will end you. I will rip out your fucking throat and leave your corpse for the crows. You fucking understand?”

Jason pales, his eyes wide and terrified as he stares up at Ryder. At my wolf, my protector, my glorious, avenging angel.

“I said,” Ryder hisses, “do you fucking understand me, you miserable sack of shit?”

Jason nods frantically, his head bobbing like a broken puppet. “Y-yes. I understand. I’ll stay away, I swear.”

Ryder stares at him for a long, tense moment. Then, with a final, warning growl, he releases him. “Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind.”

Jason doesn’t need to be told twice. He scrambles backward, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away. He runs for his car, fumbling with the door handle before falling inside. He doesn’t even spare me a final glance as he flees, his tailpipe disappearing down the road.

And then it’s just me and Ryder, alone in the parking lot.

For a moment, we just stare at each other, chests heaving and hearts pounding. But then Ryder is striding forward, pulling me into his arms and crushing me against his chest.

“Christ, Zara. When I felt your fear, your distress… I thought my fucking heart was going to stop.”

I bury my face in his neck, breathing in the wild, woodsy scent of him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just… I can’t believe he came here. That he had the nerve to… after everything…”

Ryder’s arms tighten around me, his lips pressing fierce and tender to my temple. “Shh, baby. It’s okay, now. He’s gone. And I made sure he’s never fucking coming back.”

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