Chapter 55
Skye’s POV
Still clutched in Adrian’s arms, I froze as voices drifted up from below our hiding spot. My heart hammered against my ribs as I recognized the speakers Nadia’s sharp, authoritative tone contrasting with Ryder’s more casual drawl.
Honestly, your hiding skills are worse than a pup’s first hunt,” Nadia was saying, her voice carrying clearly through the night air. “Behind a cartus? Really?
“At least I wasn’t the first one caught,” Ryder replied defensively. “The game’s almost over anyway. Another few minutes and I would’ve won
I tensed, quickly readjusting my clothing with trembling fingers. Adrian helped me straighten my shirt, his movements surprisingly calm compared to my barely contained panic. My cheeks burned at the thought of being discovered like this–hair disheveled, lips swollen from his kisses, and the unmistakable scent of arousal still clinging to us both.
“I still haven’t found Skye,” Nadia commented, her voice drawing closer. “I’ll give her credit–she knows how to hide.”
“Why don’t I help you look for her?” Ryder offered eagerly. “Two hunters are better than one.”
Their footsteps crunched on the loose gravel below, growing louder with each passing second. I buried my face against Adrian’s neck, as if somehow that would make us invisible. His arms tightened around me protectively, but I could feel the tension in his muscles, the rigid set of his shoulders as he listened to their approach.
Unlike my frantic anxiety, Adrian seemed almost unconcerned about the possibility of discovery. There was something defiant in the way he held me, as if he might welcome the confrontation. The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through me. One confrontation with Nadia had been bad enough–I couldn’t face both her and Ryder after what had just happened between us.
“That song tonight, Nadia’s voice drifted up again, changing topics abruptly. “It was for Skye, wasn’t it?”
My breath caught. I tilted my head slightly to better hear their conversation while remaining hidden behind the boulder.
“Of course it was,” Ryder answered, pride evident in his voice. “Pretty good, right? I could tell Skye really liked it. She looked at me differently afterward.”
Adrian’s body went rigid against mine. I placed a calming hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath my palm.
“Are you serious?” Nadia’s tone dripped with derision. “You’ve been like this your entire life, Ryder. Three minutes of passionate interest, then on to the next shiny object that catches your attention.”
“Not this time, Ryder insisted, sounding genuinely offended. “I’ve never been more serious about anyone.”
A heavy sigh from Nadia. “What is it about her that has you men so completely bewitched? First Adrian, now you.”
My eyes widened at her words. I glanced up at Adrian, whose jaw had tightened perceptibly. The mention of his name in connection with being ‘bewitched” by me seemed to touch a nerve.
Their voices grew closer still, now directly beneath our hiding spot. If they thought to look up and behind the boulder, we would be discovered immediately. The sound of their footsteps stopped, as if they were surveying the area.
In that moment of heightened danger, Adrian did something that shocked me to my core. Instead of remaining still and silent as any rational person would, he deliberately lowered his head and pressed his lips against the side of my breast where my shirt had been partially readjusted.
I bit my lip hard to suppress a gasp, my eyes wide with disbelief. Was he deliberately trying to get us caught? His amber eyes met mine, dark with possessiveness, as his hand slid beneath my shirt again to cup my breast fully. His thumb brushed across my nipple in a deliberate caress that sent shivers racing down my spine.
The audacity of it–the sheer recklessness–left me breathless. Here we were, seconds away from potential discovery by the tv eople who would be most hurt and angered by what they saw, and Adrian was… marking his territory.
I remained frozen, barely daring to breathe as his lips continued their gentle assault. One part of me wanted to push him away, to hiss at him to stop this dangerous game. Another part–a part I barely recognized as myself- thrilled at the forbidden nature of our encounter, at the possibility of being claimed by him while others searched for me.
1/2
Chapter 55
After what felt like an eternity, Nadia’s voice finally broke the tension.
“They’re not here. Let’s check the eastern ridge. The game’s almost over anyway.”
I thought for sure I heard something, Ryder muttered, sounding disappointed.
Their footsteps gradually receded, the sound of their voices fading into the distance until we were once again alone with the desert night.
Only then did I release the breath I’d been holding, my body sagging against Adrian’s chest in relief.
“Are you crazy?” I whispered fiercely, pulling away from his touch despite my body’s protest. “They could have seeni us!”
Adrian’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight, something wild and possessive lurking in their depths. “Would that have been so terrible?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me.
“Yes!” I hissed, straightening my clothing with shaking hands. “Nadia would have been devastated, and Ryder-”
“Ryder needs to understand that you’re not his,” Adrian interrupted, his tone hardening. “And so does Nadia.”
I stared at him, momentarily speechless. ‘I’m not yours either,” I finally managed, the words emerging more uncertain than I’d intended.
Adrian reached out, cupping my face with surprising gentleness. “Aren’t you?” he asked softly. His thumb traced my lower lip, still sensitive from his earher kisses. “Your body seems to disagree.”
I pulled away, needing distance to clear my head. The intoxicating combination of adrenaline, desire, and the lingering effects of his touch made it difficult to think straight.
“We should head back to camp,” I said, deliberately ignoring his question. “The hunting game must be over by now.”
Adrian watched me for a long moment, his expression unreadable in the shadows. Finally, he nodded, retrieving our discarded masks from the ground.
“This conversation isn’t finished, Skye,” he said as he handed me my rabbit mask. “What happened between us tonight… it means something.”
I accepted the mask without meeting his eyes, uncertain how to respond. What could I possibly say? That despite my best efforts to maintain boundaries, I’d nearly given myself completely to a man who wasn’t my mate? That for a few stolen moments on this canyon ledge, I’d forgotten all the reasons why we shouldn’t be together?
As we made our way down the rocky path toward the distant glow of the campfire, I couldn’t shake the memory of his touch, the heat of his kisses, or the dangerous thrill that had coursed through me when he’d continued to touch me even as Nadia and Ryder had stood mere feet away.
What scared me most wasn’t the possibility of being caught–it was the realization that a part of me had wanted it to happen. Wanted everyone to know that Adrian had chosen me, even if fate hadn’t destined us for each other.
And that thought terrified me more than anything else.
Chapter Comments
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this female beta and her mate are a lot. alike maybe they should be together
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