Taunting Destiny(20)

“Do I look that bad?” he asked coldly.

“No. No, Adam, you don't look bad. You just look different,” I lied.

“Liar. I can feel your response. I can feel you, Syn. Don't fucking lie to me.”

“I'm sorry, Adam. It’s not bad. I'm just not used to you like this yet.” I saw Dristan sift in and approach Ryder carefully.

“He got away, sorry,” Dristan explained in a low voice, nodding toward Adam.

“How did he escape?” Ryder asked carefully, quietly, his eyes on me. “He should have been mindless with the effects of Transition still.”

“He is very lucid. Claire told me that he has been extremely agitated a couple times since he entered Transition, but this time, he managed to sift. He’s way past the time when most panic, so they didn’t think he would need the collar anymore. I’ve never seen a Transitioning male sift from his feeding. Adam though was mid-feed and just disappeared.”

“I can feel you, Synthia, inside of me. I need you to turn it off, just for a little while. I need to get you out of my head while I finish Transitioning,” he sighed hesitantly, and I didn't blame him.

“I wish I knew how, Adam,” I whispered and pulled away from him.

“I need you to figure it out, Syn. It’s driving me insane. I want things I shouldn’t, and I know you wouldn’t want most of the things that are slipping into my mind right now,” Adam whispered and shook his head. His eyes pained as he turned on his heel and walked away from me. I watched his firm well-defined back as he walked away. The brands on his back had created a Celtic cross covering the middle, etched into his skin with beautiful details. My best friend had Transitioned, and while I’d been oblivious, he’d become full Fae.

“He's adjusting, Synthia,” Zahruk said softly from beside me.

“He’s going to make it through this. He’s strong,” I replied, and turned to look straight at Ryder. “So a group is after the Fae and likes to torture and kill. Any idea on who could be responsible?” I asked, trying to put my mind back to the matter at hand, and off of my best friend who was, even now, walking away from me.

“No, but whoever they are, they won’t live long. Attacks like this have been happening here and there, all week long and seem to be increasing in the level of violence used. These lunatics are growing bolder. Those that you healed are resting now. When they wake up, we will question them,” he replied, and nodded to Eliran who stepped up next to me.

“You cleaned their blood. Any idea how you did it? I'd like to be prepared if anymore come in showing the same symptoms.”

“No idea how I did it, sorry.”

He nodded his head and turned to Ryder. “Vlad might have more knowledge on this. If she cured the blood, it's possible she could be Blood Fae.”

“Blood Fae?” I asked, trying to recall everything I knew about them—it wasn’t much though. The Blood King was reported to be very reclusive. The reports I had read back at the Guild said that he and his people were pretty much isolationists that kept themselves away from the rest of the High Fae castes, and were rarely spotted in this world.

“Interesting idea, Ristan. Call Vlad and tell him to get his ass down here. Eliran, call me if any of the victims wake up and recall anything. Syn, you need to get some sleep.”

“I can rest at home.”

“You can rest here,” Ryder argued.

“No, I am not staying here. I can rest just as well at home,” I growled, feeling my body sway.

“Your two days are almost up. Need me to spell it out for you?” Ryder whispered as his hands rested on my shoulders, sending shivers to my toes.

“Fine, but I'm not sleeping in your bedroom.” Ryder's lips lifted into his cocky smile, and I wanted to wipe it off—with my lips. I shook my head. “I need sleep, remember?”

“I need to feed,” he challenged.

“I don't have to sleep in your bed for that. It’s a business arrangement. Not an invitation to use me whenever you want to.”

He smiled wider as he nodded to the others in the room and grabbed my hand, sifting us back to his room.

“I said I wasn’t sleeping in your room!”

“Who said anything about sleeping? You are going to feed me. Now, take off your clothes and get your ass in my bed.”

“Ryder,” I whispered, not sure how to respond to him since my body already was. Heat pooled between my legs as my hips spread with readiness for him already.

“Take off your shorts, now,” he challenged and stepped closer to me.

I exhaled and glared at him. “Fine, do it, feed from me. Just call me your fucking buffet.” I bent down and pulled off my shorts and panties and then ripped off the borrowed shirt. I turned and walked back to the bed, feeling faint and tired with everything that had gone down today. I lay on my back and spread my legs, eyeing him.