Taunting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins Read Free Book Online Page B

stood with the naked shifter on my porch as Ryder's men stood on my dead lawn, watching the standoff. “But last time…?” I asked, looking up to meet his eyes.
    “ Last time the wards must have reacted, because a Fae was inside the house. They hadn't been active for a while. Perhaps they reacted to the fact that a Transitioned Fae was inside their protection. Who knows why they reacted to me. Inactive wards are unstable at best. They had been left unattended and un-strengthened for a very long time. You’re smart enough to figure that out.”
    I hated when he was ri ght and had to state the obvious. Especially after I’d just accused him of being the Horde King, based on theory alone…
    I crossed my arms over my chest as my body reacted to how close he was. “And him?” I leveled a glare at Mister Not So Fancy Pants. I also thought of the Fae who had abused and killed my parents. They had been Transitioned, which killed his explanation on the spot.
    Ryder's lips lifted as he turned and took in the naked Shifter. “Only you, Syn, only you could find a Shifter inside an animal shelter, and bring it home.”
    Ristan s norted from the doorway, and asked the Shifter where he now stood on the porch, a safe distance from the wards. “Explain how you ended up in the pound, Fido.”
    “ I was caught by humans after a bad run of luck. Ended up with a few others that were trapped as well.”
    “ Caught by humans?” Ryder asked, turning beside me until his hand touched my leg from his close proximity. I shivered with the knowledge of how good they felt inside my dreams, which caused him to look over at me with a knowing smile on his lips. I frowned and took a step further away from him.
    “ Yeah,” my dog said, running human hands through his hair. “They injected me and a few others with something that killed most of us. The others had a really bad reaction to it. I eventually shifted to get out of the cuffs and, I was so sick, I couldn’t shift back afterwards.”
    Ristan and Ryder both looked at each other , and I had the distinct feeling I was missing something.  “How many humans did you see?” Ristan asked after a brief second had passed.
    “ A couple, they wore masks though. They called us castes, and, well, you know we don't consider each other castes, they kept saying we were test subjects.”
    “ Oh my God! You watched me change!” I blurted out accusingly.
    He blushed and scratched his head with a guilty smile on his lips. “Sorry about that, but not sorry for what I saw.” He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled boyishly.
    Ryder growled low in h is chest. “Take him home, Ristan. Eliran will need to look him over to be sure he is fine.”
    I watched the other s sift out, which left me standing alone with Ryder, who I'd just accused of being the Horde King.  He turned and smiled as if he could read my thoughts.  “You're not the first to think it, Syn,” he said taking a step towards me.
    “ What are you?”  I asked, taking a step back and winced when I felt my back go flush against the wall that seemed to come out of nowhere.
    “ You really want the answer?” he asked, moving closer until he placed hands on either side of my head. “You couldn’t handle it, and you're not ready to know. When you are, you won't need to ask me because it will be too late for you.”
    “ Too late for me?” I asked before licking my dry lips.
    His eyes lowered to my mouth wi th liquid heat burning inside of them. “I want to fuck you, right here, right now, Syn.” Wow, nothing like Ryder whiplash when he wanted to change topics.
    I swallowed , and closed my eyes against the lust I’d seen in his. “Ryder…” his mouth crushed against mine and heat flooded my entire body, saturating my core. My hands came up to rest against his cotton shirt, planning to push him away, in a moment, right after I took what I needed…Who was I kidding?
    He made that deep rattling sound in his chest again as he growled deeply