Arctic hugged me gently, and I nuzzled into his embrace with a soft sigh of relief. Ryker chuckled, instructing Arc to take his place to sleep beside me while he was away. He added that Tyger was responsible for Matty’s and my safety, while Snow was to indulge her mothering tendencies to her heart’s content. Rolling my eyes, I swallowed the feelings of abandonment that rose within me when Ryker announced he must go, but would return as soon as he could. I dropped my gaze after seeing the soft, unreadable expression on his face and blinked away the tears that filled my eyes. What did he do to me?
Masculine arms wrapped around me to pull me into a gentle hug while I tried to pretend I didn’t feel a flutter in my chest. “Easy, bunny, I won’t be gone long. And I will explain more upon my return. For now, take it easy. Perhaps tomorrow you may sit in the sun for a bit, hmm? I know how much you adore the sunshine, and I do not intend to deny you its warmth,” Ryker murmured before kissing my forehead. I sighed when the storm within me calmed, but he was gone before I could think of any words to say in response. What surprised me, yet didn’t, was Liam left with the lord of the house, meaning Matty and I were somewhat left to our own devices.
The rest of the day, Arctic stayed close, which I found to be a relief since the bond between us kept me from missing Ryker. That I would have missed him disturbed me. He must be working on replacing Marcus with himself. I noticed that I didn’t miss the werewolf anywhere near as much as I thought I would. But was that because I lacked time to miss him, or because Ryker was killing the bond between us? Either way, I suppose only time would tell.
When it was time to rest, Arctic held me close to his chest, and I slept soundly despite having slept for two days already. Yeesh. How close to death was I? Did I miss seeing the Grim Reaper? I shall be disappointed if he was there, and I didn’t look around to spot him. Totally a missed opportunity, I bet he looked cool. When we woke, Arctic smiled and nuzzled closer while I held him as tight as I could. I didn’t understand what existed between us, nor did it upset me. Nor did I feel a need to explore it or figure it out. It was as comfortable as my favorite hoodie. Weird. Probably some kind of shifter mojo or something.
After breakfast, we sat outside in the late afternoon sun, much to my delight. The manor was quiet since the vampires were asleep while the human staff had not yet risen to start their days either. I was dressed in an outfit similar to what Tyger and Arctic wore, which was fine by me. Tyger admitted that he, Snow, and Arctic were the only shifters in Ryker’s house with an odd smile. I did not like it because the way he watched me worried me. Was he trying to hint I was a shifter? Pfft. Yeah, right. How does one become a shifter, anyway? Isn’t it something you have to be born as? Great, now I have another mystery to solve. Along with why I hadn’t seen or heard from Jaxy since I ran into Liam. As soon as I had that thought, something gently tugged on a few strands of my hair, and I sighed upon discovering the shifters and Matty whispering several feet away. No doubt they discussed me, lame. “Hi Jaxy,” I murmured, and soft laughter echoed around me. Well, at least I was right that Jax was the one who pulled my hair, albeit he was gentle about it. “Not a fan of vampires?” I questioned dryly.
“Ryk’s not terrible, not towards omegas, but the others are nasty,” he replied quietly. “And they’re not fond of ghosts.”
“Lame,” I sighed, and he laughed again before ghostly arms wrapped around my waist from behind.
“Be good, bunny, or you will not appreciate the consequences. Not because they are terrible, but because Ryk will have no choice. With your level of stubbornness, not having a say in the matter will rankle,” Jax sighed before his presence disappeared. Lovely. Some people have Lassie, and I get a werewolf ghost who enjoys puzzles and riddles. Ah, well, at least I can’t say my life is boring.
Matty and I walked through the trees surrounding Ryker’s mansion to appreciate the beauty we sprinted past before. Not that we could see it in the dark. The leaves were turning, so in the coming weeks, the colors should be something to behold. Giggling, Matty suggested a game of tag, touching my arm and sprinting before I agreed. Laughing, I chased after my baby brother while elation danced in my veins until my soul was buoyant, and my heart raced with joy. After several tags, I tackled Matty, and we rolled in the few leaves that had already fallen. Our laughter echoed in the trees while we wrestled until
