CHAPTER 32. HER VOICE
RYDER
The approaching footsteps got me waking from my post-coital sleep. Turning to my side, I was still tangled with naked, female bodies. Staring straight at me were the erect nipples I'd badly dealt with last night. Right now, they don't seem any bit appealing. All I felt was a surge of disgust.
“Get the fuck out of here!“ I growled, and they were all forced out of their sleep, hurrying down the bed and hastily picking up their clothes and panties.
The door burst open and Darius halted in his tracks, stepped aside and the girls ran past him.
My hands covered my face as I puffed exasperatedly into my palms. With my erection gone and my hunger to fuck dwindled, I realized just what I'd done last night. Dammit!
I looked up and was shot by the blinding lights from the window.
“Shit, dude! Get a fucking grip,“ I winced, squinting my eyes.
He struggled with the cord and quickly drew the blinds, “Sorry, man. I thought that's what your Beta does every morning,“
“You couldn't wait till I'm up?“ I snorted, falling back on the bed. The sheets were roughly wrapped around my naked body. My hair was disheveled and was falling to my face in small locks.
“For someone who just had the good fuck, you seem rather cranky,“ Darius mused. ”Is something wrong?“
“Yeah, seeing you this healthy hurts. I wanna claw your hearts out. Feed it to the dogs. Hurl you into a pit of wolfsbane and watch you struggle for your life.“
He laughed, taking steps closer to the edge of my bed, “That's a lot of savage ways to end a life and you gotta tell me what I fucking did to deserve them,“
“You shouldn't have brought them. I was doing just fine with my boner,“ I mumbled, as it dawned on me that this wasn't Darius' fault. The guilt I was feeling was a result of my decision. Even though he'd brought the girls, I'd chosen to fuck them. It was my choice, not Darius'. Still, taking the fall for what happened last night would make me feel even more terrible. I badly wanted to vent to someone.
He arched a brow and shook his head in a chuckle, “I never thought I'll ever see you look this pathetic. My guess is, she's a witch and has done some fucking spell on you. Or a bloody dominatrix,“
“She's neither.“ I said, grudgingly getting down from the bed. The sheets were loosely wrapped around my waist. I turned to him, “Is everything ready for our departure?“ I was dying to return home.
“Not really. We're short on supplies. We gotta get more food down here, or the people are gonna be left with nothing when we leave,“
“Then I guess we'll have to contact someone from my pack to send in some supplies. Get Jason on the line.“
My brows perked up as I remembered the old man who ruled this pack and the pain he was in. He'd been among the hundreds who were injured by the collapsed buildings. They said he'd gone out there to help his people and sadly got caught up in the tragedy.
“Alpha Vince?“ I asked in a breathy tone.
“Still breathing. His old bones took a hard blow. I'm afraid he's gonna be an invalid for a while.“
“You wanna be in charge here?“ He shot me a look. “I mean, just until Alpha Vince can rule his people again,“
“I don't wanna stay out here, man. I'm sorry but I don't want to, “ He said.
“C'mon man, just until I assign someone here. It'll be callous if we all leave. One of us has to stay here,“
“Then let Fredrick stay!“ Darius snapped. Just then, the door threw open and Fredrick walked in, alongside Giveon and Jay. “Fredrick, right on time!”
“For what?“ His brows creased.
“Ryder wants you to stay back and call the shots here. Just until their Alpha is back on his feet,“
“Deal!“ Fredrick grinned, immediately jumping on the offer.
“You accept?“ Darius asked skeptically, exchanging stares with me.
“Of course, I do, man. I'd give anything to stay down here my whole life!“
“Why?“ I chirped in. Although it was pretty obvious it had to do with the ladies. He's had a handful since we got here. For some reason, the ladies here found him more charming than the other warlords.
“Petunia wants us to go dancing when we can. And Sasha wants to have a BDSM section with me. Just to see how the stuff works. Uh, and…Juliet…“
“Geez, Dude. How the hell do you keep their names? That's a violation of the fuck rule.“ Giveon interrupted with a laugh.
“No, it isn't.“
“Yes, it bloody is. You don't give names and don't keep one when given. You just fuck and that's it. Why do you always go overboard?“ Darius snorted.
Fredrick was gonna turn to me for assistance but I was already heading to the bathroom, ready to escape the situation.
“Ryder…“
“Do you mind? I just gotta take a quick bath,“ I rambled amusedly, turning to flee into the bathroom.
“Ciara's here.“ Fredrick said flatly.
I froze. Turning to him, I scoffed in disbelief, “What did you say?“
“Ciara's here. She arrived this morning with a bunch of media guys. No offense, but I think your fiance has lost it. To her, this is just some event. She got zero empathy for the people,“ Fredrick said.
“You guys, stand guard outside. I don't want her in here. Do you understand?“
They nodded. I went ahead to take a quick bath and change into new, thicker clothes.
When I came out of the room, she was running right into my arms.
“Not now, Ciara,“ I tossed her aside, but not before I noticed how flimsy her outfit was. Her dress was just a few inches below her hips. Strapless. A nicely-cut V-shape enhanced her cleavage.
As much as she wanted to badly seduce me, is she so daft to understand that she could get a bad cold out here?!
“Ryder, we need to talk now!“
“Get her a coat and denim pants to go with. Burn that dress she has on. Lock her up in a room until I'm ready to see her,“ I mind-linked Darius, who gave me a nod.
Unlike Jason, Darius was overly capable of handling Ciara.
“Ryder!“
I ignored her calls, taking quick strides to the Royal clinic. It was on the east wing of the Castle.
“Ryder!“ She yelled out again. I heard her loud spewing of profanities when Darius and the guys held her back from following me into the clinic.
I continued down the aisle, searching for the room where Alpha Vince was staying.
“Ryder,“ I turned, slowing my strides. It was Giveon and he was holding out a phone to me. “Jason's on the line,“
I gave him a curt nod and he headed back to the entrance.
“Hello, Jason,“ I said in a rush, impatient and needed to speak with him. Not just about the food supplies. But because He was on a fucking mission! He was supposed to keep me updated.
“He-hello,“ The stuttering soft voice from the other end watered down my fury and I was dumbstruck. My hands got shaky and I was fighting down a million emotions rushing into my heart in a raging tide.
Was that….Hara?