Page 29 of The Storm Within

Don’t. Don’t even plant that seed.

“Ryker?”

He glanced up at the sound of Hyett’s voice. His little brother stood in the doorway, staring disbelievingly at him, but Ryker couldn’t move. It was as if his limbs had turned to lead, his body weighed down by an emptiness that seeped into every corner of his being.

He couldn’t even find his voice to speak, because if he opened his mouth, he would either start crying or never stop screaming.

“Dad!” Hyett shouted. “Killian! Ryker’s home!” His brother crossed the room and hauled him into a tight hug, holding on to him as Ryker stared down at Nate over Hyett’s shoulder. Even through the warmth of Hyett’s embrace, all he could see was his mate, small and fragile in the center of the bed, so fucking helpless.

“He has to open his eyes,” Ryker whispered, pushing the words past the hollow ache in his chest.

“What?” Hyett pulled back, staring at him with furrowed brows. “What was that?”

Rage twisted inside of Ryker, snaking through him like a serpent ready to strike. It wasn’t right! It should’ve been him, not Nate. His mate had already suffered enough, and now he was trapped with his tormentor.

“I got out, but Nate didn’t.” Ryker’s fist collided with the wall, a guttural snarl escaping just as his father and Killian entered his room.

The drywall shattered with a sickening crunch, the shards digging into Ryker’s skin as dust filled the air, assaulting his senses with its gritty and musty smell. “My mate is still in there!”

Quinton gripped Ryker’s upper arms, but Ryker violently knocked them away, feeling sick to his stomach as he remembered how Diobno had manipulated him at the diner. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

His father looked taken aback by the intense reaction, staring at Ryker as if he had struck him.

Feeling unsteady and queasy, Ryker took a step back and focused on controlling his breathing. Fuck. He had hugged a monster, had welcomed his embrace, thinking he was being held by the man who meant the world to him.

His real dad.

The thought made him want to scrub his skin raw with steel wool, to eradicate any trace of that vile sensation from his mind.

Killian’s hands rose in a defensive gesture, like he was facing off with a rabid beast. In that moment, Ryker felt like the wild animal he had become.

“Just tell us what happened after you got sucked into the motel,” Killian said slowly. When his gaze flicked to Nate, Ryker moved closer to the bed, his bear snarling.

Was he truly back home, or was this just another twisted illusion? How could he even trust his own senses anymore? Everything looked and smelled familiar, but he couldn’t be certain if it was real.

“Son, your mate is lying in your bed,” Quinton spoke cautiously, eyeing Ryker warily.

“His mind,” Ryker snarled, slamming his index finger violently against his temple. “Nate’s body may be here, but his mind is trapped in an illusion. If I can’t get him to wake up, he may never open those beautiful eyes again.”

He started to pace, ignoring the tinsel tangling over his boots, ignoring the hunger pains that were ripping his gut apart and the migraine pounding at the back of his skull. He had to figure this out.

“We might be able to help if you tell us what’s going on,” Killian suggested. “You’re tossing us scraps when we need the full meal.”

Ryker opened his mouth to tell his brother to stop using food references when he was starving but closed it when Ethan wandered into the room. The toddler ignored everyone and climbed onto the bed, settling down next to Nate.

“Buddy, now is not a good time,” Ryker said softly, his throat burning even hotter. “Uncle Nate isn’t feeling good.”

Killian reached to pull the cub off the bed, but Ethan scrambled around Nate, dodging his uncle’s hands. “Bad man.”

“What?” Ryker frowned, knowing full well his nephew wasn’t calling Killian bad. His brother loved Ethan dearly and would never do anything to hurt him. “What bad man?”

“Bad man hurt Nape.”

Ryker watched as Ethan ran his hand through Nate’s hair, his tiny features pinched. “In here.”

How… Ryker’s heart beat wildly as he approached the bed, lowering to a crouch. “How do you know this?”

“Just like he knew I was a bear,” Killian said with confusion in his voice.

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