Nighttime at Willow Bay (6 page)

Ryder watched, fascinated, as she bit off a large chunk of the salty treat, and got down to grinding it between her teeth, dining etiquette forgotten. Each time she chewed,
her tongue flared out like a fae fiend, and saliva gathered in the corners of her mouth.

He couldn’t look away.

“Oh my God, this tastes so freakin’ good,” she moaned. “Whose food is this?”

“
Mine. I keep it here for emergencies.”

“
Emergencies? What type of emergencies?”

“You know,” he replied
, moving around the chamber. “For when people get lost in the park.”
And when I shift into my human form and find myself hungry on occasion
, he silently added, but she didn’t need to know that—yet.

Even so, s
uspicion darkened her gaze. “Do people get ‘lost’ in Willow Bay often?”

He shrugged. “Last year a young couple did
. It happens.”

“Ye
s! I remember that story! It was all over the news. Didn’t they eventually find the man and woman close to the south entrance? Didn’t the man claim that a vampire had attacked his wife in the woods?”

He didn’t answer.

She snarled loudly. “What aren’t you telling me about this place, ranger?”

Ryder growled.
Jesus, the woman was persistent as nails. “Naomi, just eat for now. You’ll get your answers soon enough.”

She looked at him, obviously pissed, and cute as hell. “I better get my answers.”

“You will.”

Silently, she ate the jerky
, eying him warily.              “Well, at least this jerky is good,” she mumbled. “I don’t even like jerky like this but I’m famished!” Her eyes flashed in his direction.  “Aren’t you going to have some?”

“I’m fine,” he choked. “Had a big dinner.”

Her tongue stroked the sides of the meat, greedily sucking the wrinkly textures.

Fearing she might spot his erection, Ryder sat down opposite from her.

“Now I can die a happy woman,” she groaned.

“You’re not going to die, Naomi. Haven’t I made that clear?”

She only squinted her eyes at him and continued eating. After she was finished with the jerky, her hand reached out for another one.

Ryder passed it on.

Once again, she attacked the processed meat with zest, and Ryder shifted uncomfortably on the ground. She was driving him wild with her little moans of delight and lip licking. The woman was a walking sex advertisement.

“Thank you,” she said, finishing up the jerky and washing it down with a bottle of water.  She burped. “I needed that.”

What I need is to fuck, he thought miserably, but he wasn’t that much of an ass to make the announcement.

Ryder shoved the wrappers in the bag. “Glad I could help.”

If he had any sense in him, he would run far, far away from this woman. She was going to fuck him up in the end.

“So,” she said, looking around.
“Where are we exactly?”

“The Elyson Caves. These caves rest on holy ground.
Few know they’re here.”

“That’s weird.”

“What?”

“Holy ground in Willow Bay. I never would make the correlation.”

Of course she wouldn’t. Most outsiders only saw the woods as a cesspool for evil.

“My ancestors are buried just below the crest on the other side of the mountain, Naomi. Legend has it, their spirits protect all Jorys that come to visit.”

The distress sound she made had him tensing. “And why do we
need
protection? Tell me everything you know about Willow Bay. Who were those assholes?”

Ryder looked away.
Persistent as nails…
Did she really want to talk about this now? How was he going to tell her that creatures of the night lived in Willow Bay, North Carolina? How was he going to break the news of the existence of elves, fairies, centaurs, demons, werewolves, mermaids, vampires, witches,  shapeshifters and a few dragon folk—all residents or visitors of Willow Bay? That had to be avoided.

“I don’t think we should talk about this now.”

A frown appeared on her face and she flung dirt at his boots. “Look, you don’t get to decide whether or not we talk about this. Either way, I’m going to find out.”

“Naomi
---”

“No, it’s not
fair! I was just attacked by demonic-looking hillbillies. I’ve paid my dues. I deserve some answers.”

He stood to his full height. “Drop the subject.”

She stood too, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Oh, hell nah. You are not going cavemen on me, mister. First Malcolm, now you.  I…am…not…the…one.”

Ryder frowned.
Who the fuck was Malcolm?
“I’m only trying to protect you.”

Her eyes narrowed. A half-smile cur
ved her lips. “That’s what’s wrong with you men. You say you want to protect us, but you just want to keep us clueless and defenseless—so we have to depend on you. I’ve seen it time and time again.”

Her breasts stuck out as she placed her hands on her hips. Her honey vanilla scent floated toward him.
What was she going on about? And why did she have to look so sexy and cute?

His control evaporated.
He took a step forward. “Darling, I’m not most men,” he growled. “When I say I’m trying to protect you, I’m trying to protect you.”

“Well, prove it…by telling me the truth.”

Damn, he thought, heaving in a huge breath. The woman was hard. He wondered if he should tell her the whole truth. Usually when humans discovered that supernatural beings actually roamed the earth, they changed. Grew fearful, isolated, resentful for having to know the truth about the things that went bump in the night. Some even went to the media to report their fears, and had to be shut down by vampire enforcers, so that ancient secrets could stay just that—secret. He didn’t want those things happening to Naomi, but he also didn’t want to lose her. He’d only just found her. Regardless, something had to give, because she was not backing down and deep down inside he didn’t want her to.

But one thing that he would not stand for is her comparing
him to ‘
most men’
—especially this Malcolm fellow, whoever that jerkwad was. He was not ‘
most men’
. He was Lupine. Better than ‘
most men
’.

“Lower you
r defenses, darling,” he told her, managing to keep his voice calm, and his wolf at bay.  “I am not the bad guy here…not this Malcolm fellow. I’m trying to help, so quit your man hating.”

“I do
not
hate men.”

Yes
, she did. But he only grunted and shifted his stance. She’d skin him alive if he said the words.

For one long dramatic moment, she glared at him, her beautiful braids falling around her like a dark dream.  A cold wind entered the cave and she secured the hoodie more firmly around her. After a sigh, she talked. “I’m sorry. I guess I should be thanking you for everything.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does. Since the tent, you’ve had my back and I’ve just behaving like an ungrateful ass.” She paused. “I’m just going through some things right now.
I shouldn’t be bad-mouthing all men.”

Bad breakup, he figured. Written all over her. So…
Malcolm.
He’d kill the prick.

She walked to the entrance of the cave, her eyes trailing the dark forest. “But don’t you see, I still need to know about Willow Bay.  I need to be able to protect myself out here. I need to feel strong because everything
is falling apart, you see?” She paused. “My auntie tried to warn me about this place but I didn’t listen.
I was a fool.
  But now I have to know…because I’m here. I have to know who I am and why I’m here and what is out there and the only person who can help me is you.”

She turned and walked to him.  “So, will you help me
, Ryder?”

God, she was beautiful. So brave to want to know the truth when others fled from it every
day. His heart swelled with pride and desire. How could he refuse her?

“Fine, I’ll tell you,” he murmured.

“You will?”

“I will, Naomi.”

He retrieved a flashlight from the emergency bag then took her hand. “But you may not like me afterward.”

“Who says I like you now?”

“Follow me.”

“Where
to?”

“You ask too many questions.”

“But—where?”

“Naomi?”

“Huh?”

“Shut-up.”

Chapter Eight

Naomi groped the cave walls for balance as Ryder led her deeper into the abyss. Amazing how deep the cavern was, with its numerous passageways and empty cavities. They seemed to go on forever like a dark, forgotten maze. She was glad she wasn’t stuck down here by herself. She was glad Ryder was there with her, even though the Norse God had given her a headache when he’d initially refuse to answer her questions, sprouting some bullshit about trying to protect her. She didn’t need protection; she needed the truth. How else was she going to survive this night?

S
tumbling around corners and rocks, she walked awkwardly beneath slanted barricades that looked like the faces of monsters. Every so often she leaned on Ryder’s back for support, took comfort in the solid slab of muscles.

No softness. No fat. Just hard, ripped muscles.

“Haven’t been here in a while,” he muttered, boots crunching over gravel. He barely used the flashlight. He was as agile as a beast in the darkness.  “Used to love playing here as a kid.”

“You
played here as a kid?”

“Sure.”

“You never got scared?”

“Nah, I like the darkness.”

She didn’t mind it either, except on nights like this. “I used to love playing hide and go seek with my cousins at night,” she said. “I’d always win cause they’d get scared and quit.  Sometimes I’d be out there for hours thinking they were still playing cause no one wanted to tell me that the game was over!”

He laughed at her story.  “You never just let them win?”

“No way. They had to earn a win.”

She could feel him smile in the darkness. His head turned in a sideways profile.  

“You’re tough,” he responded.

“
Am not!”

“Are too.

“Am not!”

They chuckled. 

“Besides,” she continued, “they had to learn that losing wasn’t the end of the world. At least that’s what my mother always told me.”

“Wise words.”

“From a wise woman.”

Silence encircled them.
Naomi wondered how she seemed in his eyes. Too loud? Too macho? All qualities Malcolm criticized. Then she wondered why she even cared. By this time tomorrow, she’d be home, sleeping in her bed, watching one of her favorite TV shows, and this night would be one bad memory. That is…if she made it home.

At the morose thought, questions seized her. Where was he taking her? What answers lay around the corner?  He seemed to be preparing to show her something very important, and she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to see it.

But she had to see it.

She had to know.

If not for her, for her auntie. Her kin deserved the truth.

Somewhere near
, she heard a stream. The eerie sound of water juxtaposed with the quiet stillness, and had her sucking in a nervous breath. They were blind, walking through the labyrinth, through the many deserted channels. Anything could happen.

“Ryder, is this safe?”

She clung to his shoulders and bounced on the balls of her feet. “I mean, the floor won’t cave in, will it?”

“No, Naomi.”

“Just checking. I don’t want to fall two hundred leagues beneath the surface of the earth.”

It took a moment for her to realize that he was laughing at her. His shoulders were shaking and he was making a cackling sound.

Naomi rolled her eyes. “You seem to find me very amusing.”

“You are.”

She stared at his muscled back. “Well, you’re—”
A handsome, bossy, mountain of a man
. She choked back the reply upon entering a large room the size of a cathedral. Naomi looked around in wonder. Moonlight shined through the ceiling’s crevices and large rocks sat on the sides.

“This is impressive,” she muttered, walking around the room, her hands touching the
enclosure. “Like, a person could actually live here.”

Standing behind her, Ryder followed her movements, his eyes gleaming with a smile. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was thinking just as he sh
ined his flashlight toward the far side of the cavern and lit up a magnificent scene.