Page 26 of The Storm Within

Ryker chuckled against his ear before continuing in a velvety tone, “Even if what I’m saying is true?”

Now that his mate put those thoughts in his head, Nate imagined those strong, hard muscles pressed against him, sweaty and flexing as Ryker made love to him. He thought back to their amazing kisses, full of passion and need, and those lips that had brought him so much pleasure.

“I love the way your body responds to my touch.” Ryker glided his tongue over the skin behind Nate’s ear. “So amazing.”

Any lingering anxiety Nate felt was obliterated. “And what naughty thoughts are racing through your mind?”

His brows furrowed when his mate didn’t answer him. Glancing up, he saw Ryker was frowning. Nate followed his gaze and spotted the man’s father standing at the entrance to the diner, wearing a shocked expression.

The guy moved swiftly toward them then hauled Ryker from the booth, hugging his son tightly as a sob escaped. Nate glanced away, a tiny spark of jealousy igniting inside of him, hurt that his own family would never react that way to seeing him. His mother and siblings were nowhere near as cruel as Diobno, but they weren’t exactly caring either.

“Dad, why are you hugging me so hard?” Ryker grunted. “I’ve only been gone a day. You act like you haven’t seen me in a year.”

Nate’s heart stalled as a chill crawled over him.

Finally, Ryker’s dad pulled back but kept his hands on his son’s upper arms. His gray eyes shimmered with tears, ready to fall as he stared in wonderment at Ryker. “Son, you…you’ve been missing for ten years.”

Ryker staggered back, his eyes wide. Sitting stock-still, Nate glanced around, paying even closer attention to everything than he had before. So busy dealing with his anxiety, with smelling the different aromas, he hadn’t noticed the noise of the diner, the conversations, the clink of coffee cups… It all seemed a little…off.

“That can’t be right.” Ryker stared slack-jawed at his father. “It’s only been a day!” He scrubbed his fingers through his hair, letting out a disbelieving huff.

Nate closed his eyes, only this time for a different reason. He exhaled a soft, slow breath then concentrated on the hidden notes beneath the sounds he was only meant to hear. A layer of static was buried underneath, a low hum embedded in the wavelength of noise surrounding him. It was an unnatural buzzing that vibrated around them, the kind that shouldn’t exist.

As Ryker questioned his father, anguish making his deep voice crack, Nate slowly stood, moving closer to his mate. He took Ryker’s hand and tugged him down, whispering in his ear, “We have to open our eyes.”

The temperature inside the diner dropped a few degrees, the air growing colder. It was the kind of chill that seeped into your lungs when you inhaled, and yet Ryker didn’t seem to notice. He stood there frowning at Nate, his lips slightly parted.

“What’re you talking about, honey bear?”

How could Nate have forgotten something so important? Even though his focus had been on Ryker, the battle, and their freedom, he’d allowed an extremely dangerous detail to slip his mind.

A detail that would be far worse than eternal imprisonment in a rundown motel if he didn’t get Ryker to open his eyes.

Nate glanced around the room to see if anyone was paying him too close attention. His gaze darted to the counter, where a waiter stood with a coffee pot, the man’s stare blank and vacant. The diner’s patrons now seemed blurred at the edges, like static-filled images on an old TV screen. He turned his head toward Ryker’s father, who was no longer focused on his allegedly long-lost son.

Instead, those gray eyes were locked on Nate, a smile curling at his lips, but it wasn’t a smile that spoke of warmth or reunion. It made Nate’s skin crawl, the kind of smile that held secrets and malice, a darkness that churned under the surface.

“Nate?” Ryker’s frown deepened, his gaze shifting between Nate and his supposed father.

“Open your eyes, Ryker,” he urged, staring at Diobno—who was disguised as his mate’s father—right in the eye. “My uncle is a master at illusion. We’re not free, Ryker. He caught us in the shadows. None of what you see is real.”

The smile faded as Diobno’s expression morphed into something more sinister, his eyes glinting, calculating. “What gave it away?”

“I’ve been in limbo long enough to know how time works,” Nate sneered, his heart pounding wildly. “Time might run differently than in the real world, but a day doesn’t equal a decade.”

He was almost sure of it.

“I don’t get it.” Ryker’s gaze kept flicking between Nate and Diobno.

“My uncle’s spell.” How could Nate have fallen for this? “He cast it on me, not you, Ryker. Which means, when I left the motel through the closet, I might as well have been wearing a beacon. His spell homed in on me, and he was able to easily track me and trap us in this illusion.” He looked up at Ryker. “We’re frozen in the shadows, our minds here but our bodies still there.”

“Clever boy.” Diobno’s tone held a barely-contained smile, as if this was all a sick game to him. Then again, everything was a sick game to his uncle.

“Are you saying he isn’t my dad?” Ryker’s eyes searched Nate’s.

Nate didn’t break eye contact with his uncle. “No. It’s Diobno.”

Ryker took a menacing step forward, his jaw clenched. “You son of a bitch! Take off my father’s goddamn body. You’ll never be worthy enough to wear him.”

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