Fae Chronicles 01 - Fighting Destiny (29 page)

I smiled and crinkled my nose, "It's not a date. It's simply research so I know what to expect from the Fae for the ball."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that and eventually you might buy it. I'm a guy Syn and I'm telling you straight up we don’t take women looking like that anywhere for just research."

"Well it's not like that," I said wondering who I was trying to convince more, myself or him? My smile faltered with the reality of what I was doing and who I was going with came rushing back. I closed my eyes briefly, knowing I was making a mistake by going with him tonight.

"Adam! Get out. You always put your foot in that fat mouth of yours. She is going for research, who cares if she is the hottest damn thing in the club?"

I blinked as Larissa went off on Adam. She thumped her foot as she crossed her arms and waited for him to leave. I knew better, he wouldn’t walk out and leave her upset, he wasn’t built like that. "It's okay, really." I said when Larissa didn’t let up.

"I don’t like her going out with him, not without us as backup baby," he said messing with the suit tie he wore.

Larissa's sternness gave away to a huff of air as she rushed forward and threw her arms around Adam's neck. "I know. Me either but she won't change her mind. Looking like that she could have any guy inside the Guild and we could watch her back."

I snorted, "I'll be fine, if not I'll call you. You two enjoy tonight. We need to let loose once in a while. Just remember not to make a huge show of your newly found feelings tonight, never know who might try and use it against us. Just be safe and have fun tonight."

Adam smiled roguishly, "Right, so I shouldn’t grind my erection into her on the dance floor?"

"Ahh," I held up my hands covering my ears making a show of it, "My ears!"

We all laughed, including Malinda who had been watching us. Adam released his hold on Larissa and stepped up until I had no choice but to turn around and face him. "Be careful tonight Syn, call us if you need us. We'll come," he said before pulling me in for a hug carefully as to not wrinkle the silk dress. "You look beyond amazing tonight, just remember, one call and we're there."

I smiled, "Considering I don’t even know where
there
is, you're just going to have to trust that I am able to take care of myself for once."

He swallowed and nodded, "We're well aware that you can Syn that's never been in doubt. It's all this shit with Adrian coming back, it has to be driving you crazy knowing he was a few blocks from us this entire time and you're vulnerable right now."

It was my turn to swallow and nod. "You guys remember what I told you earlier about Adrian's reason? I mean it doesn’t change what he did by leaving us, but you guys should know, he's still tapped in to us, our power. I need to release him, just couldn’t do it yesterday."

"Shit, so he's been connected to us this whole time," Larissa said putting her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

"Yes, but I didn’t realize it until yesterday when I knocked him on his ass. He pulled from my power I'd tapped into. He was able to draw power from me." I exhaled a shaky breath and continued, "I'll take care of it, but I needed you guys to be aware of it as well. He's chosen a side and if he ever was against us, well, he'd know our moves before we would."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I walked out of the room with my friends by my side, we'd all be leaving close to the same time and I was as ready as I would ever be. With my heart in my throat I looked down the intricate long stairwell and found Ryder watching us.

He was decked out in a black suit. He was mind blowing in his finery. I had to remember how to breathe as I took the stairs carefully in the heels. He was devastating tonight. His short hair was loose, falling over his ears as he watched me through his perfect bedroom eyes. His hands folded in front of him as the perfect smirk covered his beautiful mouth.

When we reach the bottom of the stairs he came over, his eyes roving over my body hungrily, his wicked sexy grin was blinding compared to the usual cocky air he showed. Tonight it's gone and in its place is a sexy intriguing male who is oozing
fuck-me
vibes that sent heat pooling to my molten center.

"Syn," he said lifting his grin into a smile as I accepted his arm that he held out for support. "You look beautiful," his eyes slowly slid down my body with naked desire in their fiery golden depths.

"You clean up pretty good as well Ryder," I mumbled before biting my lip as I smiled.

Adam leaned in and whispered in my ear before he and Larissa went out the doors, "It's
so a
date."

I blushed, turning to watch his retreating back as he turned smiling back at me wiggling his eyebrows childishly over his shoulder. Ryder only laughed as we followed them to the waiting limos outside. I looked at it and smiled. It was black gloss in color and had tinted windows.

He opened the door and we climbed in silently, when we were fully inside he sat across from me, his eyes dangerously sexy as they caressed over me. I crossed my legs and leaned against the seat for support, which I needed in any form I could get right now.

I managed to pull my eyes from his hungry look and watched as we drove away from the mansion. The loud sound of a cork being removed from a bottle made me jump and place both hands on the soft leather seats.

Ryder laughed, "Scared to be alone with me Pet?"

I watched the bubbles flow from the bottle, none of them landing on his crisp freshly pressed suit. "Not at all," I lied.

"You’re a horrible liar and you should be afraid. The things I want to do with you right now…I could think of a few hundred things to do right now that don’t include ending up at the club tonight."

I swallowed and narrowed my eyes on him, "This isn't a date. You promised to give me a time frame for when you would release me from the contract."

This isn’t a date, yeah nice Syn! He hadn’t said anything about it being a date.

"So I did," he said as he reached to the window box and pulled out two champagne flutes and held them in one hand as he filled them before offering me one, which I accepted without a second thought. I needed it to calm my nerves. Or at least, that is what I told myself.

"Are you going to?" I asked prompting a reply from him.

"At the end of the night, is what we agreed on. Until then you promised to relax and not try to control everything. So drink and relax Syn. Loosen up and enjoy the night. Tomorrow we have to continue the search for the killers."

"What is it you expect from me tonight exactly, Ryder?" I asked watching his dangerous eyes flick to my legs.

"The possibilities are endless Synthia."

We entered the sub-level of the club through an elevator which I hadn't noticed the first time I'd been inside Sidhe Darklands. It had been a short visit and I'd been bordering on hysterical when I'd been here signing his contract. This level was exclusive. Security was thick inside the club tonight as if they were expecting trouble. I fisted my hands at my side as my eyes wandered and took in the assortment of creatures inside the club. It was something out of a nightmare, different branches of the Fae, many kinds I had never seen before, mingling with humans who looked to be here willingly. Of course I looked willing—which was really still up in the air.

"Having second thoughts?" Ryder asked close enough to my ear that his breath fanned my neck.

I turned to look at him as the elevator behind us opened to allow more Fae into the room. One approached us not even trying to hide what he was. He was dressed immaculately, his long hair tied at his nape with a strip of leather. His eyes were red with orange around the irises, his hair coppery red.

"Ryder," he said stopping to bow to Ryder who tipped his head to acknowledge the newcomer.

"Altius," Ryder said dismissing him with a nod.

The Fae moved on without another word as Ryder's men, who had come earlier, moved in around us. Tonight they looked wild, as if they were fighting against something and losing. Zahruk's eyes were wild, his mouth tightened from strain. I was about to ask if he was okay, or if we should worry, when music started up from the stage set up in the front of the small intimate club.

We were moved further in as more and more Fae showed up, each acknowledging Ryder before moving deeper into the club. "You know them all?" I asked turning my head to watch his response.

He smiled wolfishly, his eyes turning to lock with mine. "Why wouldn’t I?" He asked quietly which I barely managed to hear over the pounding music.

"Because most look like they might be from the Horde," I said just as quietly.

His smile grew bigger, "Someone has been doing her homework," Ryder replied his eyes now challenging me to say more.

If he was moving in on the Horde in the King's absence it was none of my business, not unless it caused a war which crossed into my world. Until then, it was his problem. I smiled and let it drop for a moment which only seemed to amuse him.

“Dark Fae consorting with the Horde,” I whispered more to myself, but Ryder heard it anyways.

“Dark Fae and the Horde are allies Synthia, this isn’t a well-kept secret. It’s fact. We help them when needed and they help us.”

“Funny, I thought the entire Fae race loved to fuck each other over. And right now their king is missing. Meanwhile your father isn’t. Sure you’re not trying to step into the Horde Kings shoes?” He smiled mischievously and watched me as he refused to answer. I rolled my eyes and watched as Zahruk stepped up closer to Ryder.

"Zahruk, Tara is heading this way. Tell her to give me twenty before we start and make sure she explains to our people the rules as well as the others." Ryder asked his man before offering me his arm once more.

Zahruk didn’t reply, more than to nod his head and run interference with the busty blonde who was even now trying to get past him to talk to Ryder. Her vibrant green eyes locked on me as her lips twisted into disgust. She was one hundred percent Fae, of which kind I wasn’t sure. She was definitely pissed off Fae.

"Girlfriend?" I asked as he pulled me over towards the dance floor.

His sexy smirk was irritating as he dodged the question and easily pulled me against his chest smoothly. "Jealous?" He asked scanning my face.

"Hardly," I said grinning.

"You look beautiful tonight Syn," his eyes burned with intensity that made me hesitate as I placed my arm around his until he turned me around to stand in front of him.

"You look nice," I replied not used to giving out compliments to guys very often unless you wanted to count telling Adam he looked good goofing off, which he did and often.

He rewarded the comment with a half-smile as his hands settled around my waist. "
Nice
is what you tell your brother when he does something stupid."

Wow, this guy was good. I smiled even as I tried not to. Considering I had been thinking the exact thing when I'd said it, but the funniest part was his disgruntled look now. It was as if I'd just insulted his person. "You look like a rogue, who is intending to do very bad things while looking very debonair Ryder," I amended.

His smile brightened wickedly, his eyes alight with laughter. "Maybe I am—would you let me Syn?" He asked all traces of the laughter gone instantly.

A silent shiver crept up my spine as his fingers touched my flesh, his eyes caressing me more than his hands could ever manage. I licked my lips and considered lying. Ryder was beyond my boundaries. I'd set them for a reason and yet to tell him I didn’t want him would be just that—a lie.

"I want you Syn, I shouldn’t, but it doesn't change the fact that I still do."

I swallowed and turned my face away the best I could manage to keep him from seeing the brilliant blush that flowed over my cheeks. "I'm not like Claire, Ryder. I won't be used because you want sex. That's what it would be—right?"

If he said yes, then it would be so easy to just walk away. He was unpredictable. The dancing we'd done had been intimate and surprising. He's been gentle and so unlike himself on that dance floor, here he was once again a sexual male. Ryder was not the kinda man you walked away from, he was the type you crawled away from trying to remember your own name after he was done with you.

"I want you, I make no excuses for what I am Syn. Claire satisfied a hunger—one
you
created. Would you have rather I took you, even though I knew you were not ready? I'm not that person. I don’t take unwilling females—
ever.
Don’t have to," his hands moved up, his finger and thumb cupping my chin so I was helpless to look away from his exotic eyes, "You want me, your body trembles with it."

"And if I don’t want to be yours Ryder?" I questioned fighting the urge to claim his full mouth.

He smiled as Zahruk motioned to him from beside us. "I told you, tonight is all about being yourself, Syn, but it's more than that. You get to see us as our true selves, as Fae. You will be mine tonight, even if I have to hunt you down and claim you."

"And if I run?" I asked narrowing my eyes as he stepped back from me his hands releasing my chin and lowered back to his sides slowly.

"I enjoy a good chase."

"I'm not a dog, Ryder," I growled as an overwhelming urge to run hit me.

One minute I wanted to kiss him and the next I wanted to run from him, or kick him. From the pleasure I could read in his eyes. He was enticing, the sexual pleasure I felt just being around him was intoxicating. My body felt the need to give in to the truth of his words, but my mind knew he was quicksand.

"No Syn, tonight you are mine. You’re the white stag everyone will be chasing," his smile turned dangerous, his eyes glowing brightly even in the dimly lit club. A shiver crept down my spine as his words filtered in.

"Deer, dog, I'm neither."

"You want to be chased. You need the choice taken away from you. You fight your own desires because you think you cannot handle it Syn. You punish yourself for something that happened long ago, something you couldn’t have changed because destiny decided it before you were even born."