Secrets in the shadows

Can I keep you

“This had better be important!” Ryker screamed as he bowed his head across my chest.

“Oh it is” Phoenix stated with urgency.

“Spit it out then”

“Aren’t you going to look at me”

“Kind of got a situation going on here, just spit it out”

“The council have summoned us” Phoenix blurted out.

“Now?”

“Afraid so, brother”

“What’s the council?”

Ryker groaned again.

“Okay, I will be out in a moment”

“Of course, oh and Lana is going to watch the girls”

Ryker jumped up upon hearing this, clearly not bothered any longer about his situation he had going on, but upon taking a peak his situation had seemed to have resolved itself, Phoenix the mood killer strikes again!

“She most certainly is not!” Ryker screamed at his brother.

“Oh you want to take her to the council do you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you know she can’t come!”

“Then Lana it is”

“I said no”

“I hate to point the obvious out but your little visitor is a flight risk or had you forgotten”

Ryker turned and looked at me.

“That is true”

“Hello, I am sitting right here!”

“Oh yes, there you are, if you hadn’t of pointed it out we would have never guessed” Phoenix rolled his eyes in my direction.

“Phoenix!” Ryker scolded him.

“What!”

Ryker glared at him, like they spoke some unspoken language I wasn’t invited to.

“No! I’ve had enough, this has gone far enough, I told you this was a bad idea when you started it, but would you listen”

“I said that’s enough!”

“Oh it isn’t nearly enough!”

“I am not listening to another word”

“Oh but your going to listen! Her been here puts us all at risk! Four more days and we can go back to normality”

“What?”

“A week Ryker, she stays for a week remember?”

“Yeah about that”

“No! They can’t stay here, you know you can’t keep her, she doesn’t belong here”

“I’m not keeping her!”

“Sure sounds like you want to”

“What I want and what I have to do are two separate issues”

“Your not keeping her that’s good, so dear brother what do you have planned for her?”

“I don’t have any plans for her”

“Well there in lies your problem, I knew this would be a disaster, you’re a fool”

“Just get out”

“Fine, Lana is downstairs with Laila”

“I thought I told you”

“We don’t have time for this, we have to go now!”

Ryker just nodded at Phoenix and Phoenix turned and slammed the door behind him when he left, Ryker stood there staring at the door where a furious Phoenix had stood moments before, running his fingers through his hair.

“Ryker, I’m sure we will be safe with your sister while you are gone”

Ryker chuckled, “I’m not sure safe is the word I’d use”

“Oh?”

“I can’t explain so please don’t ask me to try”

“Okay, why did your brother keep referring to me as a pet?”

“A pet?”

“Yes, he said you couldn’t keep me”

Ryker started stroking my hair and I melted into his touch.

“Oh because I can’t keep you, it’s too dangerous, but can I tell you a secret?”

I just simply nodded as he brought his lips close to my ear, the sensation of his breath on my ear tingled and sent shock wavs of delight through my body, just the slightest touch from him was enough to make my legs tremble and my body melted into his touch.

“I wish I could”

I started smiling, those words that he uttered touched every part of my soul, he probably didn’t know it but with just those little words it felt like I was falling even deeper, I desperately wanted to tell him that I wanted to keep him too but I dare not utter the words out loud because it would break me when I had to leave him, which was inevitable because as he said he couldn’t keep me, I was growing curious about the dangers they spoke of, what would be so dangerous that they would need to hide?

I hadn’t seen any sign of life anywhere around here since I had been here, although I hadn’t been outside and I couldn’t help wondering what I would have seen if I had made it outside.

Ryker didn’t let me speak as I opened my mouth to say something, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say but my words never came out as he wrapped his hand around my head and his mouth came crashing down on mine, his sweet taste filled me from the inside, it only lasted moments but the feeling would stay imprinted on my soul forever.

Ryker looked deep into my eyes, I knew he was stalling, I just didn’t know why, he wouldn’t give me any answers so it was futile even asking.

“Ryker?“

“Yeah?” 

“How long am I staying for?”

Ryker looked at me curiously, “Why are you asking that?”

“Your brother doesn’t seem to want me here and I don’t want to cause any more trouble than I already have, I didn’t mean to be so much trouble you know”

“Caliana is that what you think?”

“That I’ve been a complete nightmare, yes”

“Sweet girl, you have been a breath of fresh air”

“But you have seemed annoyed and sad since I’ve been here”

“That was not because of you, darling, I’ve enjoyed our time together”

“I have too, you are not what I was expecting”

Ryker took me in his arms and held me close.

“How am I ever going to say goodbye to you”

I didn’t want it to happen, but it was out of my control, I could feel the lump forming in my throat and the sudden sadness overtook me just at the mere mention of the word goodbye because of course I knew it was coming but I never expected to fall in love with him and break his most important rule, if I was going anyway I had nothing to lose.

I reached up and pulled his head towards mine and sunk my lips into his, tasting, pouring everything I felt into that kiss, teasing him with my tongue and delving deeper into his touch until I heard him gasp, before he pulled away I whispered into his mouth.

“I’m sorry”

Ryker looked puzzled.

“What are you sorry for?”

I didn’t speak, I looked down at the ground until he tipped my chin to force me to look into his beautiful eyes.

“Hey, what are you sorry for?”

“I broke your rule”

“Which one? You seemed to have broken many since you got here”

I had to tell him, I couldn’t leave it left unsaid and even if it meant I would go home earlier than planned,I had to follow my heart and take this adventure as far as I could before I went back to my boring life.

“I’ve fallen in love with you”

“What?”

“I said –“

“I heard you”

“I’m sorry” I’m sorry is all I could muster to say to him, his rule seemed like a deal breaker but I had fallen head over heels in love with him, I wasn’t sure when it happened but I couldn’t imagine life without him now, how could I fall in love with someone who was irrevocably unavailable, I’d never been in love and when it finally happened, it wasn’t reciprocated, it was typical for me to fall in love with the most secretive, unavailable man on the planet, I shook my head in spite of myself and turned and started making my way towards the door, a hand grabbed my wrist.

Ryker pulled me towards him.

“Hey where do you think you are going?”

“I thought I should leave”

“Why?”

I didn’t respond, I couldn’t, if I spoke now I’d end up crying like a baby and while I still had some self respect left, I couldn’t let him see that.

“You’re leaving because you love me?” I nodded.

“Well strange girl that makes no sense”

“What?”

“We don’t leave those we love or did nobody ever tell you that” Ryker said with a smile.

“I wouldn’t know I’ve never been in love before” I said sullenly.

“Then how do you know you are in love?” I smiled.

“I know because when I see you I get butterflies, my body knows you like a bird knows a song, I want you but it’s more than that, I need you like I need oxygen to breathe and when I think about having to leave you it feels like the greatest loss I will ever feel, like my heart and soul is broken but I don’t regret a second with you, meeting you was the greatest adventure of my life and when I have to leave, I will carry a piece you with me always” a small tear ran down my cheek.

Rykers lips came crashing down on mine the taste of his sweetness and my salty tears played a song in my mouth, he pulled away and bore his eyes straight into my soul.

He turned and walked towards the door, “Caliana”

I looked up but he never turned back to look at me, “Don’t leave this room”

Closing the door behind himself, never turning to look back, he was gone once more and I was left alone once again with nothing but my thoughts for company, I had so many questions and he had just left me here wondering.

Pacing the floor thinking of my next move, what was I doing? I had lost all sensibility since I had met Ryker, like he had cast spell over me because I was definitely spellbound.

Was I really going to sit here and wait for him to come back?

I know I’d promised that I wouldn’t leave this room but what did it matter at this point, pretty soon I would be leaving, leaving with a broken heart and he would probably find another unsuspecting soul to imprison and enchant, maybe this is what he did to massage his ego, chewed you up and spat you out like a crazed beast, enchanted you until you fell for him before throwing you away like yesterday’s trash.

And I was driving myself insane trying to piece together the workings of Ryker Storm’s mind, he sure was convincing and he was believable but maybe that was the point, f**k boy’s were great actors but it didn’t make me love him any less, at this point I was creating scenarios in my head because once again he had left me alone.