Page 4 of Reign of the Beast

Stealing his magic, for one.

Then, hiding myself away, turning from the awful threat that plagued us, rather than taking up the mantle as he’d wished.

“No, sweetness.”

I stilled at the familiar voice.

Then I jolted bolt upright, searching him out.

A hand suddenly grasped mine, making me choke in surprise.

I hesitated until I traced its path up to a very familiar face.

“Ryker,” I breathed, as I instinctively took his hand and allowed him to help me out of the box.

Having not used my limbs for hell knew how long, myknees buckled as soon as my feet met the floor, my body not able to hold up its own weight.

Swiftly, Ryker’s arms wrapped around me, saving me from hitting the ground.

I felt a spark of magical energy and a robe suddenly covered me, shielding my flimsy nightgown beneath.

He swept me up in his arms and carried me out of the little barn into the dark night.

He eased me down onto a nearby log, then stepped back, eyeing me intensely.

With a weary shake of his head, he shifted his weight and folded his arms across his chest.

While my father hadn’t come, it was clear I was still in for a reprimand either way.

2

~Mia~

“How did you find me?” I asked, wanting to know how on earth Ryker had managed to break through Immortal magic.

“VerySnow Whiteof you,” he said, ignoring my question, and gesturing at the box through the open barn doors.

There was no humor in his tone.

In fact, that trademark Ryker Morgan levity, the wit and sarcasm in the face of difficult circumstances, was nowhere to be found.

And that wasn’t the only thing that was off with him.

He wasn’t clad in his normal designer get-up, instead dressed in black from head-to-toe in a pair of worn jeans, a muscle tee and a hard leather jacket. His hair was wild and devoid of product, and weeks' worth of stubble plagued his jaw, just shy of beard territory.

With dark circles under his eyes, along with his wearied stance, he seemed exhausted.

Worst of it all was the haunted look in his eyes.

I couldn’t see that spark that was all Ryker anywhere.

“Ry, are you okay?” I asked.

He stared at me for a long while and I waited with bated breath, sensing that he wanted to confess what was burdening him.

But then he blinked hard as though coming out of some sort of trance and looked away. “It’s been three months, you know that?”

Three months?

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