Ryder looked anything but pleased.
What annoyed him more than Riley's endless fashion parade were the women who kept hovering around the boutique...drawn like moths to his striking presence.
"You can always get more clothes another day, love," he said with a too-sweet smile.
Riley shot him a glare. "No. I want everything I need today."
He groaned internally. Humans.
What frustrated him the most was knowing he couldn't slice them in half or rip out their staring eyes...not in broad daylight, not while pretending to be civil.
Ryder stood from the velvet couch and walked toward Riley, ignoring the growing attention of everyone in the store.
Riley stiffened as he approached...his cold, unreadable expression sending a chill through her.
Without warning, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The move startled her, and she blinked up at him.
He leaned in, his voice a husky whisper by her ear.
"Don't test my patience, darling," he said. "Do you know what I want to do to these women gawking at me?"
Riley swallowed, her heart thudding. She shook her head slowly.
"I want to pluck out their eyes and feed them to my wolves," he said with a wicked grin.
Her eyes widened. "You have... wolves?" she asked, almost too quietly.
Ryder stared at her, stunned. That's what she took from that?
He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Just hurry up," he muttered, raising his voice a little as he dropped his hand from her waist and turned back to the couch.
Riley's cheeks burned as she turned to the shopkeeper. "Please pack all of it," she said quickly.
The woman chuckled softly, amused by the pair, and nodded.
Soon, they were out of the store...Ryder carrying the bags with practiced elegance, despite his scowl.
"I want ice cream!" Riley announced cheerfully.
Ryder stopped in his tracks and turned to her with a look of disbelief.
"You're... different from the girl I first met," he said slowly.
"You mean the irksome stranger?" she shot back, eyes narrowing.
"Me? Irksome?" he raised a brow, amused.
"Ryder!"
A voice called out from behind.
Ryder sighed. "Santiago."
A tall man with a commanding presence strode toward them. Santiago, charming and smug as ever, glanced at Ryder... then at the shopping bags in his hands. His eyes lit up in disbelief.
"What exactly are you doing?" Santiago smirked.
"Shopping," Ryder deadpanned. "This is a shopping mall."
Santiago's grin widened. "Never thought I'd see the day. Ryder, servant of fashion."
Ryder didn't reply. He turned to Riley. "Go ahead, love. I'll catch up."
Riley looked between the two men, concerned. "Don't do anything stupid," she whispered before walking off toward the food court.
As she disappeared, Santiago's gaze followed her. "Who is she?"
"No one Ethan mentioned," he added pointedly.
Ryder tensed.
"Jealousy suits you," Santiago added with a sly smile.
Ryder gave a cold glare. "Keep dreaming, San."
"Is she the one?" Santiago's tone shifted...more serious now.
"No," Ryder replied. "She's an Orsticle witch."
Santiago blinked. "Those were all wiped out. That bloodline is supposed to be extinct."
"Well, guess someone survived," Ryder shrugged, lips twitching into a smirk.
"You're not going to kill her," Santiago said knowingly.
"If I wanted to, she'd be dead," Ryder muttered. "Besides... she's my dear brother's best friend now. Can't have Ethan sulking."
"So virtuous," Santiago mocked.
"I am virtuous," Ryder replied smoothly. "Hopefully I'll see you again. At your funeral."
Without waiting for a response, Ryder turned and walked away.
Santiago just sighed. "That was Ryder?" a woman's voice asked.
He turned to see a beautiful vampiress approach.
"Yes," Santiago replied. "He seems... busy lately."
"The poor girl tangled up with him," Amara muttered darkly.
"She might be good for him," Santiago said. "If nothing else, it'll pull his attention away from Ethan."
"Is my order ready?" Amara asked as they turned toward her store.
⸻
Meanwhile, Riley had dragged Ryder to a small ice cream café...one she had visited with Emily.
"The ice cream here is amazing," she grinned as they sat across from each other.
Ryder leaned back in his chair, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
Their orders arrived, and Riley dug in immediately, only to get cream on her nose.
"Try yours," she urged, eyes sparkling.
Ryder reached forward, brushing the cream from her nose with his thumb. The touch made her cheeks flush pink.
"You've got ice cream on your face," he muttered.
She dipped her spoon again, a bit flustered.
Ryder took a small bite of his ice cream, paused, then took another.
"Well?" Riley asked, expectant.
"It's... good," he admitted with a hint of surprise.
She giggled. "Told you."
⸻
Later, as they sat in Ryder's car, Riley looked out the window quietly.
"My entire bloodline... gone," she murmured, echoing what Ryder had told her earlier.
Ryder drove in silence, his eyes occasionally glancing her way.
"Yes, love. If the others find out what you are, they won't be kind," he said, voice low and unreadable.
"But you'll protect me," Riley said suddenly, turning to him with certainty.
Ryder's brows shot up. "How do you know I won't kill you and feed on you?"
She met his gaze steadily. "Because if you wanted to kill me... you already would have."
Ryder didn't respond. For once, he had no smirk, no comeback. Just a strange flicker in his eyes.
"When will you bury them?" he asked eventually.
Riley's lips trembled. "Soon."
Ryder didn't offer sympathy,he never had much use for it. But in the silence that followed, there was something else. A quiet understanding. The rare kind only monsters shared.