Chapter 21
"Alright everyone," Ryder''s mom said,ing into the room. "I need to do a checkup so everyone out."
"Come on Dean," Andy said, grabbing him and pulling him up and off the bed.
"Hey, I''m family," Dean argued.
"Out," his mother told him.
Dean pouted like a three-year-old but left with everyone else. Ryder however still sat in the corner with
an expression I hadn''t managed to read when his mom shed a light in my eyes.
I jerked back and glowered at her. She justughed at me. "That looks good. How are you feeling? Any
nausea."
"I''m alright. A little sore. So what happens now?" Andy had told me Ryder''s dad didn''t like violence. I''m
pretty sure they weren''t going to give me a get out of jail free card.
At first, Emily didn''t reply but instead continued her examination. She took my temperature, checked on
my left arm, and made me follow a small penlight with my eyes. "I''d thought to give you girls kitchen
duty, but seeing your state, I''m inclined to give it all to Beth."
"You''re kidding right?"
She gave me a curious look. "Why would you say that?"
"Beth hates me."
Ryder''s mom frown and shook her head as if asking me "and your point is?”
"You give her all the kitchen duty, and she''ll kill me. No, she insulted me, but I am the one that started
the fight. I''m in the kitchen right along with her. I will not be looking over my shoulder every time I leave
my room.
Emily nodded. "Okay, if that''s what you want." When Ryder''s mom finished, she gathered her things
and stood. "Kitchen duty or not you need to take it easy. No using your left arm and no more fights.
You''ve been extremely lucky with your concussion. Let''s not push that luck."
When she left whatever had been keeping Ryder so quiet was gone. He sat where his mom and been
and smiled before giving me a peck on the lips.
I jerked a little surprised. "What was that for?"
"Well, I like kissing you." He grinned more. "But also because you did well."
"What do you mean?"
"Mom offered you an out, and you didn''t take it."
Something in me froze, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Was this all some kind of test?"
Ryder stilled with what really looked like a guilty expression. "No, not at all, but if it was, you would''ve
passed."
Narrowing my eyes even more at him. "Yeah? And what would''ve happened if I failed? You all decide
it''s not worth war and send me back to Mike and his dad?" The words came out a lot more bitter than
I''d intended.
"What? No!"
"Or is it, they''re trying to see if I''m good enough for their son. Can I be a good little mate? You know
what, tell them to stop wasting their time - I''m not good ''mate'' material."
Ryder held up his hands. "Whoa, wait."
"No, I don''t think I will." I threw back the sheets of the bed and stood, ignoring the throb of pain through
my head. Now wasn''t the time to show weakness.
"Brook," Ryder said, sliding off the bed.
"If they want to rescind their offer of protection that''s fine too. I can be gone like that!" I snapped my
fingers. I started for the door when Ryder stepped in front of me.
"Brook."
"I don''t want to hear how you rationalize this bull shit, Ryder. Just get out of my way." I sidestepped him
only to have him move with me, but before I couldin his mouth was on mine. With a startled
squeak, I took a step back. Ryder took a step forward, his lips still pressed against mine, and he
followed me until I bumped into the wall. My anger melted into something else, something warmer and
darker, and I returned the kiss.
Ryders slid his hand around my waist, pulling me to him as he broke the kiss and instead, pepper
softer kisses along my jaw, moving towards my ear. Stomach tight and heart racing, my eyes closed on
their one as each touch of his lips on my neck sent an electric jolt streaking through me right down to
my toes. My breath hitched in my throat as his teeth graze the skin between my neck and shoulder.
Ryder started to suck and nip at the skin there, each time was harder and sharper than thest. I
gasped when it started to hurt. He stiffened then rxed, stepping back. "Sorry." Embarrassment
colored his face. "Instincts kicked in, I only meant it to be a quick kiss because...you weren''t letting me
talk."
I lifted an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. "You kissed me to shut me?" I should''ve been
offended, but for some reason, I wasn''t.
"Well," Ryder rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn''t think you were going to give me a chance to
apologize before you stormed out."
"You were going to apologize? Shouldn''t your mom be the one to do that?"
"No, she wasn''t testing you. Mom doesn''t like games. It was just me sticking my foot in my mouth
again."
"And, I didn''t let you apologize. So I-Owe, what are you a vampire too," Iined when I touched
the part of my neck he''d apparently gnawed on.
Ryder actually turned bright pink. "Sorry, instincts..." he shrugged. "At least it doesn''t look too bad."
My eyes widened. "You left a mark? Did you...did you give me a hickey?"
His embarrassment turned into a smug smirk.
"Smirk all you want. When my mom sees this she''s going to kill you."
Ryder shrugged, still smirking. "Then you could grant me one a dying wish.”
"If it''s something guy-ish, the answer is no," I said, crossing my arms again.
"Guy-ish? I''m not Dean." Heughed, running a hand through his hair.
"No, I''d like to take you somewhere." He took my hand and with a tugged, led me out of the room.
"Somewhere? Where exactly?"
"You''ll see," he said cryptically, giving me a secretive smile.
We continued to wind through the maze of the house when Ryder opened a door, revealing a small
living room. In the center was a huge overstuffed couch and across from it was a just as huge t
screen. There were a couple of love seats scattered around the room and a coffee table in the center.
"Movie night, what do you think?"
I smiled at the slight nervous strain in his voice. "It is yourst night alive, so yeah, this is cool."
Ryder grinned walking over to a couch and sat down, tugging on my hand to sit with him. "What would
you like to watch? It can be anything, but a chick flick."
"Those are usually depressing, no I''d rather watch something fun."
Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!
We finally settled on watching the Avengers and eating our dinner, pizza. After a while, all the
awkwardness and nervousness was gone. When the movie ended, I noticed just how close we were
sitting and how at ease I was around him. "That wasn''t so bad. I can''t believe I haven''t seen it until
now."
"Good. If there is anything, you''ve never done but wanted to do. Just let me know, and we''ll find a way
to do it."
I narrowed my eyes at him again. "So if I said I wanted to go skydiving over the Grand Canyon or to
Pamplona to run with the bulls?"
He looked at me strangely as heughed. "Okay so maybe not anything, because that would take a
while to set up."
"If I''m honest there is nothing right now. My life has enough excitement as it is. This was probably the
best thing we could''ve done."
"Really?"
I nodded. "It was normal. That''s something I haven''t felt in a long time, Ryder."
He frowned, nodding then smiled. "Great, that''s what I want." He brushed his knuckles across my
cheek, sending a wave of warmth through me.
My heart pounded in my chest so loudly he had to have heard it. "What about you? What would be the
one thing you''d like to do?"
"Kiss you again."
I blushed, ncing down at myp, self-conscious. "Seriously Ryder." I nudged him with my shoulder.
"Seriously. I really want to kiss you again...so can I?"
My breath caught in my throat, and it seemed impossible to breathe. Unable to speak, I gave Ryder the
slightest of nods. He leaned forward until his lips barely touched mine, but it made every cell of my
bodye alive. Perhaps this whole mate thing wasn''t so bad after all.