Instead of saying that, I turned away from him, so I could set the box on the hood of his car. I pried it open, expecting more Christmas lights like last time. Instead, I stared down at a pile of fabric. I shot Ryder a wary glance. I was too tired for this. If this was some sort of prank…
“Alvin has been hunting humans and keeping trophies,” Ryder explained.
I lifted a dress from the box. The hem was stained with dirt. My fingers caught in tears that could have only been made by wolf teeth. My stomach flipped. I shoved the dress back into the box and noticed several more. They were all sweet and innocent looking sundresses, soiled from the forest that Alvin made these poor human women run through.
The pack would never forgive Alvin for his twisted sport. Hunting humans had been illegal for at least a century, if not more. This was an offense worthy of the highest punishment. If the pack could not deal with it from within, then someone else in the community might intervene. Beryl or Audra, perhaps?
I closed the box and looked Ryder up and down. He motioned for me to get the box off his car then jerked his door open. I had to let him go.
Yet, he hesitated. He stared me down, his expression softening. His jaw clenched when he glanced back, like danger would be lurking in the shadows behind us. This fight was far from over. He seemed to understand that.
“Are…are you sure you’ll be all right on your own?” Ryder asked.
I bit my lip to keep from begging. My hound howled even though Ryder couldn’t hear her while she was trapped inside me. The wind whipped around us. I tugged the box closer and held the flaps down with one hand. When I turned to Ryder with agoodbyeon my lips, the wind tore it away from me.
Not yet, I wanted to beg.
Please stay with me.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got this.” I hefted the box Ryder had procured for me.
His knuckles popped when he tightened his fists. He checked the skyline to his left then the shadows to his right. I could tell he wanted to help, even if he was frustrated with me for misleading him.
I counted myself lucky for having met him. Ryder proved that there were good men in this world.
When I opened my mouth to say goodbye one last time, my chest tightened, and tears reached my eyes. The skies opened and small raindrops hid my grief.
A clap echoed in my ears. I jerked back, alarmed. That was not a thunderclap even though it’d been almost as loud. I tore my attention from Ryder and noticed red fabric billowing in the wind. The gales blew Beryl’s dress around her. To some, it might have looked like a blossoming rose. To me, I saw blood swirling around her ivory legs.
Queen Beryl grinned. Her hips swayed as she sauntered up to Ryder. I stiffened when she put a hand on his shoulder. My hound nearly leapt out of me. The beast gnashed her teeth, hungry for Beryl’s hand.
Beryl’s grin became sharp-toothed when she looked to me. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, honey. The dragon isn’t going anywhere.”
I’d forgotten about what my father had told me. Beryl’s hand slid over Ryder’s shoulder and down his chest. Her fingertip touched the pendant around his neck, and it flashed with a blood-red light.
She turned her gaze upon Ryder. There was an affection in her eyes that bordered on possessive. She wrapped her hand around the pendant and tugged. Ryder spun as if shoved by invisible hands.
“Beryl,” I warned, despite myself. My hound’s growl vibrated in my voice.
Beryl’s attention slid sideways to me. She looked me up and down. “I thought you would be happier. He can continue helping you so long as he worships me. Does that not please you?”
I fought to keep my expression blank. Ryder, however, didn’t bother hiding his rage. His upper lip curled as he glowered at the fae queen. Then, Ryder turned that hot anger to me. This was my father’s fault.
That made thismyfault.
As if things couldn’t have gotten any worse.