Page 62 of Ruled By The Alpha

Riden panted as he surveyed the carnage at his feet, where the bodies of both men lay bloodied and broken, leaking theirlife’s essence over the forest floor. His wounds burned and his head throbbed, but a quick assessment revealed his injuries weren’t life threatening. Grunting, he dragged the bodies away from Syra’s hiding spot, then got down on his knees in front of the dark crevice.

He paused a moment to catch his breath, struggling to focus as her scent flooded his already overwhelmed system with a surge of carnal lust that hardened his dick to stone and made his muscles quiver with anticipation.

“Syra.” He choked out, struggling to soften the guttural sound of his own voice. “Syra, Honey, it’s safe now. Can you hear me?”

“R-Riden?”

He breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of her voice, but the tension between his shoulders refused to relent. “Yes. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

“Good. That’s good.” He nodded to himself, closing his eyes and expelling a slow, measured breath as he tried to center himself. Instinct rode him hard, demanding he pull her out of her hiding spot and rut her there in the blood of the men he’d fought for the right to her, but even in his compromised state he knew he couldn’t do that. Not after he’d spent so much time building trust with her.

“Areyouokay?” her sweet voice echoed out to him, filled with remorse and shame. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have waited so long to go, but I didn’t want to leave.”

He pressed his forehead to the cool stone and sighed, wincing at the tug of torn flesh along his back. “I’m fine, Sweetheart. Don’t be sorry. I didn’t want you to go either, but I understand why you had to. Do you want to stay here? Be alone? I’ll keep watch, if that’s what you want. You’re safe now.”

Silence filled the space between them, and for a dreaded minute, Riden was afraid she was going to agree. He wasn’t sure he could bear being so close to her and not being able to touch or see her. If that’s what she wanted, though, to weather her heat alone, he’d make certain her wishes were honored. Even if it physically pained him to see it through.

“No. I don’t want to be alone.” The hushed confession barely reached his ears, forcing him to lean nearer to the entrance and strain to hear those sweet, whispered words. “I want to be with you, but I… I’m scared.”

Relief trickled in to temper his agitation, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Scared of what, Syra? I care about you. We’re friends, aren’t we? You know I’ll take care of you.”

“I just… I’m afraid you’d regret it after.” Then, after a brief pause, “I’m afraid you won’t want me once my cycle passes. I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

Riden frowned and sat back on his heels. All this time, he’d been trying to keep his interest in Syra in check. Judging by her response, he’d done a better job than he thought. “Syra, I’ll be honest. If we spend your cycle together, I’m not sure things can go back to being how they were before.”

“I understand.” The resigned, downtrodden tone of her voice made Riden itch to crush her to his chest and comfort her, but his arms were still empty.

“I don’t think you do.” He glanced up at the sky above in frustration, searching for the right words. He’d never been a poetic soul, and everything he wanted to say just felt so crass. Clearing his throat and adjusting his aching cock, he tried to explain. “Alone out here, fending for yourself, brave enough to venture right into my camp… I wanted to protect you, take care of you. I can’t imagine what it’s been like out here for you. I wanted to be a safe place for you, and I still do… But Syra, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for you. You’re a hell of awoman. Smart, resilient, funny when you see fit to be. Just feels right, being with you.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

Riden rolled his eyes and blew out an exasperated breath. “Baby, I’m not saying it because I have to. I’m saying it because I mean it. Do you want to be with me?”

“Yes.”

“Just for your heat?” he urged, forcing his tone to stay neutral.

“No. I think I want more. But how can I tell if I mean it right now? How can I tell if you do?”

Riden smirked again and extended a hand into the darkness of the crevice, palm up and open. “No matter what, I’ll still be here for you. But why don’t we figure the rest out together? What do you say? Can I take you back to camp now?”

Soft, warm fingers brushed over his palm and circled his wrist, bracing gently as she pulled herself toward the front of the crevice. He closed his own fingers around her wrist and scooted back, making room for her between himself and the rocks as she emerged, blinking and flushed, into the hazy morning light.

Her hair was a tangled halo around her face, threads of the untamed mass clinging to the dewy dampness along her cheeks and shoulders. Dilated eyes, pink cheeks, and clothes soaked through with her own sweat and slick, Riden thought she was the most beautiful, wild thing he’d ever seen.

Syra’s eyes widened at the sight of him, her forehead creasing with worry and her lips plumping in a concerned pout. “You said you were all right.”

“I’ll live.” He countered, shrugging as he got slowly to his feet. Still maintaining the grip he had on her wrist, he extended his other hand to her. Syra’s eyes drifted to his groin and straining cock as they came to eye level with her, licking herlips unconsciously as it distracted her from worrying after him. Riden smiled and clucked to draw her attention.

Blushing darker, she let him help her to her feet. She glanced past him at the mangled bodies, her nose wrinkling in a feminine expression of disgust he found strangely endearing.

“Couldn’t be helped, Syra. I tried to give them a chance to leave on their own, but they weren’t interested.”

“No, I know.” She turned from the sight, breaking his hold to brush tentative, gentle fingers across the still seeping gash across his chest. “I’m just glad you’re still here.”

Riden pressed a kiss into her hair and turned her from the sight. “Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get back home with you before I do something I regret out here in the open.”

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