Ryder
A doe eyed beauty greeted me from the other side of the bar.
“Ryder, long time no see. What can I get you, a margarita, wine cooler, wine?”
Rain knew me better than that. I raised my eyebrow at her, she gave me a flirty smile. Taking out my favorite whiskey and a couple shot glasses she simultaneously looked me up and down. She growled low. I couldn’t help but laugh at her.
“I didn’t know elves growled. I gotta say, I find it sexy as hell.”
She smiled and licked her lips. Her confidence drew me in like a magnet, easily disarming me from any idea of finding someone new to entertain me tonight. Long brown hair she likes to style with flowers and foliage from her garden. A tiny shapely body. She had medium tan skin. Her cheeks were always slightly blushed, making her look shy and innocent. I know very well there is nothing innocent about this elf. Hell, I even found her pointed ears sexy. The fact that she was wearing a black leather form fitting bodysuit that did nothing to hide her red bra underneath and those red high heels showing off her long-toned legs has got both my beast’s pacing in my subconscious. The way she is eyeing me tells me that she is ready to rip my clothes off, and I may just let her.
“You know… you could have walked in not wearing a shirt and I wouldn’t have complained.” Rain said in a flirty tone, while waiting on another customer to the right of me. I laughed. “But if you came in like that every female here would have you all used up before my shift ends, so I’m glad you didn’t.”
I didn’t have time to respond when a giant slammed his palm down on the bar gaining the attention of everyone around him, including me.
“Rain, quit fucking around and get over here.”
Rain looked at me and sighed. My jaw clenched. I hate when assholes like this treat females this way.
“Don’t do anything, Ryder. I’ll handle him, go, and have a good time. My shift ends at the last call, catch me then.”
Rain gave me a nervous smile. I nodded but kept my attention on the male giant. I want to make sure he respects her and doesn't give her any trouble. Rain has a tough job, and the men here are the cause of it. They think she’s easy to pick up and treat her like trash just because she has to serve them. Many have gotten touchy feely, and I am not letting that happen tonight.
I don’t care to hide the fact that I am watching them. The giant looks over at me before turning his attention back to Rain. He nods my way, and Rain looks over at me then straight back to the giant. Rain was biting the inside of her jaw now, a sure sign that she is anxious.
“Bully, I told you that I am not looking for anything exclusive right now. I made that clear last weekend, Remember?”
She tried to whisper in order to keep me from hearing. Bully? The fucker’s name is… Bully.
“You’re mine Rain, I won’t tolerate anyone else touching you.”
He grabbed her by the forearm and roughly pulled her toward him over the bar. I was up and out of my seat in an instant.
“She said she doesn't want anything exclusive. Release her and get the fuck out.”
Everything got quiet. There was no chatter, the volume of the music lowered, and everyone moved away from us, anticipating a fight.
“Ryder don’t” Rain begged.
The giant released Rain and stood up. He was at least two feet taller than my 6’5 frame. He walked over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Shit, shit, shit!” I hear Luca mutter behind me.
A crooked smile forms at the corner of my mouth.
“How about I put my hands on you then?” Bully asked.
It’s obvious that he didn’t mean it as a question though. He looked at me in a way that only someone who doesn't know me would. I looked up at the unnatural being in front of me. Giants are known for their strength, and after decades and decades of interracial breeding some giants have mutated abilities.
“Try not to break anything this time, Ryder.” I hear Mark yell from the rear entrance.
Luca starts pacing behind me. He’s letting his dragon push forward. I don’t know if he’s eager to fight or pissed at me for not letting this one go. I look at the Giant’s hand on my shoulder and back to him.
“Get your fucking hand off me.” I spoke.
The giant’s laugh rumbled in his chest so loud that the floor shook beneath my feet.
“Do something little boy.”
At those words my teeth elongated, and my eyes shifted from crystal blue to amber with red swirls. A reflection of my dragon and Lycan together. A low growl slipped between my clenched k-9 like teeth as my lips curled around them. My aura rolled off me in waves as my body began to grow and morph. My skin tore as fur sprouted to cover my entire body. I had huge paws for back feet and humanoid hands. Lycan’s can stand upright and walk on two feet. I now stand tall at just over ten feet. The giant is now looking up at me. With my growl never ceasing I lowered myself to look him in the eyes. Slobber dripped from the corners of my mouth and landed on Bully’s toes. The giant’s eyes grew wide, nearly bugging out of his head.
“What the fuck are you?”
He whispered like a child who was about to get the punishment of his life. I reached out and plucked the giant up by his neck and lifted him into the air so that we could see eye to eye.
“You don’t want to know.” I promised.
He kicked his feet trying to get me to release him.
“Oh shit!” He said breathlessly.
I dug my claws into the skin of his neck. The giant screamed in agony. I dropped him to the floor, and he moved to crawl away from me. I walked over and crouched over him. I pinned him with my gaze and with a low rumbling tone I spoke.
“Run little man, and I may let you live.”
Pushing away from me, the giant sprinted for the door. He was long gone by the time Luca made it to the entrance to look out. Luca turned back to me
“Did you have to shift into your Lycan, Ryder?” He scolded me.
I walked behind the bar and Rain gave me a towel to cover up with. I shifted back to my human form and covered myself.
“Uh yeah, the dragon wouldn’t fit in here.” Luca palmed his forehead.
“You and I both know you didn’t have to shift to hurt the guy. Now you don’t have any clothes with you.”
At those words Mark tossed me a pair of shorts and I made my way to the restrooms. Luca had no reservations about following me in.
“It’s always fun to show off my Lycan side. Being the second born Lycan, not many know about us yet.” Walking back out from the restrooms, the entire club erupted in cheers, clapping, and whistles.
“Wow Ryder, I feel so much safer with you here,” a set of twins said to my right as I walked past them.
Luca elbowed me, and I turned to look at him.
“Remember that bet from earlier? Two hundred dollars if I can score with the twins.”
Oh, that’s what I agreed to when I was ignoring his rambling.
“And if you don’t score with them, what do I get out of this bet?” I asked him with one eyebrow raised.
Luca said while motioning for me to follow him back over to the twins. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to his lame pickup lines, so I turned and made my way back over to the bar to check on Rain.
Rain walked around to meet me, and she gave me a reprimanding look.
“Thank you but you didn’t have to come to my rescue. Sometimes I think you show off just to get me all hot and bothered.”
She playfully shoved my shoulder. I lifted her arm to make sure he didn’t hurt her and noticed one big bruise that encircled her whole forearm. My jaw muscles clenched, and I looked away from Rain, so I didn’t frighten her.
“Hey?” Rain placed a small hand on my bare chest. “It’s okay, I’m okay. Thank you for stepping up. Bully has been getting comfortable with treating me that way. I have a feeling he won’t be back for a while, if ever.” She gave a low chuckle. Looking down she nervously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Look, I was serious earlier. If you want to catch me after my shift-”
“Hell yeah! I’d like that,” I said, cutting her off.
She smiled and bit her bottom lip. Her usual confident attitude coming back, she nodded her head and walked back behind the bar.
“Great! I can’t wait,” she replied to me.
I grinned and smiled back at her. After taking a few more shots I decided to leave her alone so she could do her job. I caught her glances when females approached me to talk and flirt. I would give her a wink to reassure her that she was still the one I wanted tonight.
Chapter 6: What’s Her Name?RyderIt wasn’t easy keeping away from girls who wanted to grind on me. I decided to stay off the dance floor all together. I picked a seat in the back of the club and ordered a few more shots. I patiently tapped my knuckles on the table as I looked around me. I let my eyes roam briefly over the left side of the room and paused on something that caught my eye. Leaning with her back and one foot propped against a wall with a drink in her hand stood a woman. Never have I felt the need to do a double take, but this female had me doing just that. We locked eyes and held each other's gazes. Neither one of us wanted to look away. I felt captivated by her beauty. My heart rate sped up as I drank in her features, I let my greedy eyes pour over her, Intent on burning every perfect detail of this woman into my mind. Silver blond hair fell in waves over her shoulders. She had tan skin that seemed to glow with golden hues and a sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks an
Chapter 7: HerRyder“I don’t even want to know.” Cam said.I wiped the corners of my eyes and attempted to gain control of myself. It’s time to train, and I take my training seriously. Luca and I went back to stretching while Dad and Cam got everything ready. I’m practicing shifting today. My dad is a full-blooded dragon, my mom is a Lycan. So, what does that make me? A hairy dragon? No… I can shift into either. I’m the very first of my kind. Many think I am an abomination but are too afraid to say it to my face. People are also creeped out because my Lycan doesn't have its own alter ego. It’s just me, I am my Lycan, the same as I am my dragon. I don’t have voices talking in my head, and I like it that way.I ran straight ahead moving in a blur. I pulled my dragon forth feeling the power pulse throughout my body. My arms, legs, fingers, and toes tingle as the shift begins. I continued to run as I stretched my arms out to the sides. I threw my head back as pain radiated from the back
Chapter 8: EavesdroppingDemiI pressed my back flat against the wall as I attempted to keep my presence unknown. I wouldn’t chance eavesdropping on Selene and Typhon unless It was completely necessary, and right now, it’s necessary.“Things are getting serious, Typhon. They want to limit his power and abilities. We can’t let this happen!”I heard shuffling of feet. I can imagine Typhon crossing his arms over his chest and shifting his weight in response to Selene's concerns.“I know, Selene. At this moment, there is nothing we can do. The fate of the boy remains unknown at this time. You and I are tempting fate as it is. Keeping him safe may mean we have no other option but to let them bind his powers.”“Unacceptable!”Typhon groaned at Selene’s response. Her stubbornness is one of her greatest attributes. It’s one reason why I look up to her. She is the only female Goddesses that isn’t afraid to stand up to Zeus, and she does it for her children of the moon. The werewolves and Lycan
Chapter 9: My Name is DemiRyderHere we are back in the city. Why the hell my ass followed Luca here, I will never know. All I know is I told him about my trip to the pack, and he said he needed to pick up some things before we left. “Why are we here, Luca?” I groaned as we passed by another dark alleyway. We always find ourselves here at night. All my senses were on high alert. I don’t want to get caught off guard by anyone, especially here. The thing is, I am getting that feeling of being watched again, and I am getting damn tired of it.“Chill, man.” Luca responded to my question. “I just want to be prepared.”I rolled my eyes at the man child before me. I thought maybe he wanted snacks for the trip. So, I decided to grab a few things for myself. Something for a sick stomach. We don’t like to fly all the way to the pack from the mythical lands. We need to keep a low profile in the human realm. So… car ride it is, and I am dreading it. I haven’t ridden in a car mu
Chapter 10: Don’t LieDemi “So, Ryder, this is your way of getting her in your bed, isn’t it? Don’t lie…” Ryder sighed as his friend tried to whisper while nudging him with his elbow. His friend’s teasing had me grinning. We walked through the veil separating the mortal world from the mythical lands. “I don’t blame you.” He continued to whisper. “She’s fucking hot!” Ryder’s fist flew out landing a strong blow to Luca’s shoulder causing him to land hard on his side. Ryder didn’t even have to look to know exactly where to strike. Ryder kept walking, not caring that his friend was putting on a show as he rolled around on the ground. Luca hopped up, not taking long to catch up to us. “Ryder, damn! I thought you loved me.” Ryder still didn’t turn to look at Luca. “And you…” Luca pinned his gaze on me. “You're a lady, you were supposed to check on me. I could have been bleeding out while you two nonchalantly just walked right on by.” Surprised by how direct Luca was
Chapter 11: Half BloodRyderI can’t believe this. By the way Demi talks, the Gods have turned against me. Limiting my power? How will I protect my pack, my people, and my family? I looked over at Demi, her aqua blue eyes met mine with a look that told me she was worried. I also noticed something else hidden in their depths, was it longing? “I am here to assist you in any battle you may encounter, Ryder. You are not in this alone. I know that if I ask to stay by your side, Selene and Typhon will allow it.” Demi said with certainty.“No,” I said. Demi looked up at me in confusion.“What?” She asked. Her brows pressed together.“You can’t stay. I can’t risk you getting in trouble with the Gods, Demi. This isn’t your fight.” He said without hesitation. I stood and walked over to him.“I want to help you, Ryder. I have been watching you for a long time, and I know that you are a good man. You deserve none of this.” I grabbed my head with both hands as I felt the worst headache of my lif
Chapter 12: New TricksRyderThe son of Poseidon. Does he mean the God Poseidon? “Are you saying you are the half-blood son of the God who talks to fish?”Yes, I had to put it that way. I think it’s safe to say, the Gods don’t seem to favor me at the moment. Why should I show them any respect?“Well, yeah. But he can also do other things. So can I. Watch this...”Thomas lifted his hand, palm up, then moved his fingers. I didn’t notice the large bucket size blob of water hovering over my head until I found myself looking straight up. Just when I thought he was going to let it pour over my head, the blob started to lower. I stepped to the side, not sure what he was trying to do, but the blob followed. I gave Thomas a confusing look when the blob encapsulated my entire head. I struggled to breath and moved to step away from its path with no success. Just as I thought I was going to drown, he let the water spill over my shoulders and down my back.“What the fuck are you trying
Chapter 13: An Uncomfortable SituationRyder “Well damn!” I turned to look over my shoulder at Luca who was leaning against a tree. “When did you learn how to do that?” He asked.I breathed out a sigh, thankful that it was him. I didn’t want to repeat what just happened, not until I found out what the hell I just did to that guy. “When that asshole pissed me off.” I stepped over to him. “It looked like you left him with no magic.” “I think that’s what I did. When I was done, I couldn’t feel any power coursing through his body. He was essentially a human.”“Damn, who gave you the authority to do that? That seems like something only a God could do.” Luca stated.“Well, a piece of shit who uses his power in that way doesn't need it to begin with.”“I agree with you on that one. He said he was on his father’s bad side and needed to get back in his good graces.” Luca said. “So, you were watching the entire time and didn’t jump in to help.” I