CHAPTER 5

RYDER’s POV

The lights from the cityscape below twinkle like stars dancing to a song that no one can hear. The view is magnificent as it is calm, so much peace, so much serenity and yet there is no sense of peace within me. Instead, a raging fury burns inside my heart and I have to close my eyes to calm myself.

I don’t like killing, every kill, no matter how much they deserve it is a life given by the heavens. But those men were preying on the weak and that is something that I simply cannot accept.

‘They deserved it, Ryder,’ my wolf, Bane growls.

I open my eyes and let out a pent up breath, folding my arms across my chest as I think back to the three scumbags who begged for their lives at the back of my bar. Okay, only one begged, the other two died instantly upon coming into contact with my fists. Weaklings.

My attention turns to the redhead who lays unconscious on my sofa and my eyes narrow into slits. Alisa, that’s her name - the newbie Marlene took in. I could smell her fear even before I laid eyes on her behind the bar earlier on. Her scent screamed and pleaded for help, rising above the sour stench of garbage that enveloped the area. How dare those neanderthals try to lay claim on someone from my territory?

I step away from my window and cross over to the sofa. Sitting on the woolly carpet next to it, I take a closer look at the redhead.

‘She’s beautiful,’ Bane cooes.

‘Shut up Bane.’ But it is true. This woman, Alisa is gorgeous. I gently stroke her red mane, weaving my fingers through her soft luscious hair and her eyelids flutter a little. She should be waking soon.

‘She smells good too.’ Bane is horny.

I ignore my wolf, he is always looking for someone to mate with. We’ve had our fair share of women and I’ve never hesitated to engage in a little bit of fun for quick, dirty releases. But taking a closer look at this sleeping beauty here, I have to admit, I have never met a woman quite like her at all.

Her lashes are black and thick, her lips moist and her skin creamy and soft. I remember how light she felt when I carried her back to my cabin earlier and how her head nestled against my chest as her hands and legs dangled with every step I took. In a way, I understand why those bastards cornered her. My mouth waters just by taking in the sight of her. She is young, twenty at most and has the sort of body I can lose myself in for hours, with curves and softness that would drive a man wild.

Bane is right, her scent is very alluring. She is no wolf, that much I am sure. I take a gentle whiff and Bane hisses. Her scent is like nothing I have ever inhaled before, it is intoxicatingly seductive and it makes me want to touch her and pull her into a kiss.

At that moment, my hand moves down from her hair to caress her cheek. I freeze.

What the fuck?

Quickly, I drop my hands and stare at them with a frown on my face. I’ve never wanted a woman this badly before. The touch of her skin was immensely pleasurable, flooding my senses with a primal urge to mate.

‘Dangerous,” Bane growls.

Yes, dangerous. I shake my head, shit, I need to get a grip of myself. A moan comes from the sofa and a rustle of a blanket is heard, she is awake.

“Who are you?”

Her voice is soft and feminine and it comes out like a nightingale’s song. But fear laces her every word and she pulls up the blanket to shield herself. I chuckle, that’s funny. What does she think the blanket can do? Ward off monsters?

I smirk. “Your saviour.”

She blinks those striking blue eyes of hers and bites her lower lip as if contemplating my words. Her hands remain on the blanket though, it’s obvious she does not trust me.

I sit cross-legged and lean away from her to give her more space. Guess she didn't catch my name earlier on. I introduce myself once again. “I’m Ryder King.”

Recognition flashes across her beautiful face and her red lips drop to an ‘O’ but she doesn’t move, her gaze suspicious still. But how can I blame her? She was almost raped by those bastards.

“Alisa right? Marlene told me you’d be starting your shift tonight. I’m sorry you had to go through all that shit, but it’s over now. They won’t hurt you anymore.”

‘Hmm…since when did you become so chatty?’ Bane mocks me internally. I am just as surprised, normally I don’t talk much. I’ve probably said more to her than I normally would to my pack in a week.

Her lips curl up slightly, just in the corners but even this ghost of a smile is stunning.

“Thank you…” she replies. The fear in her subsequently subsides and her eyes start to roam my living room, taking in all the wooden furniture and ornaments hanging from the ceiling.

‘She’s sweet.’ Bane is smitten by her sweetness, which is a bad thing because he has a thing for sweet women. They drive him crazy to the point of no return. I tune Bane out, he’s of no help right now.

Alisa sits up and tries to stand only for me to yank her back down.

“Rest,” I tell her and point to the bowl of soup on a tiny table next to the sofa, courtesy of my chef, Big Ben. She tips her gaze towards the bowl and lifts it in a hesitant manner.

“Where are you from?” I need to weed out the information that Marlene did not milk. That little girl would soon hire any Tom, Dick and Harry if I don’t start putting a reign on her.

She cups the bowl and blows off the steam from her soup, darting her gaze around as though nervous. Hmm, I think I just struck a core with that question.

“The convent.”

Interesting.

“You’re a convent girl?”

She nods slightly and quickly sips the soup.

“Yes.”

I arch an eyebrow, she is afraid. Something must have happened for her to run away but I do not press further. I make a mental note to get Hayden, my Gamma to do some background check on Alisa in the morning. We can’t have an unknown working for us. She finishes the soup and places the bowl back down.

“Thank you, Ryder. I’ll pay you back for your kindness.” Her words trail off and she looks down at the blanket covering her thighs, biting her lower lip again. Damnit, why do I suddenly feel so protective over her?

I clench my jaws. Get your emotions under control Ryder! You don’t even know who she is!

“You can pay me back by staying with me.”

She furrows her brow, as though my words don’t quite make sense. And she’s right. Why on earth am I keeping her by my side?

“You’ll be cleaning my house from now on,” I quickly correct myself. Fuck, I must be losing my mind.

Her eyes, big and doe-like stare at me as if I am father Christmas and the breath she lets out is slow and long as if she had been holding them in for a long time.

“Okay Ryder,” she says softly and all too trustingly. I stand up. Her gaze follows my every moment like a little child and fisting my fingers, I turn away from her. One more second alone with her and whatever innocence that remains in her will vanish because I swear by the moon goddess that I will lose control if I take in one more breath of her intoxicating scent.

“Good, you can start by cleaning the living room,” I growl and storm out of the room.  

*****

ALEC THE HUNTER’s POV

Checkmate.

I have found her. I kneel by a stream in the forest and pull out a torn piece of habit stuck between some branches. My lips pull into a thin line as I tuck the piece of cloth into my pocket. She must have made her way down the stream.

I’m coming for you, Alisa.