Nightingale (The Sensitives) Part 26

Ryker's mother rushes out of the hall and begins fussing over us, gus.h.i.+ng about the good fortune of Ryker to marry into a family of such high standing. I want to tie her tongue to silence her and it takes every bit of concentration I have to not lash out.

With our entourage, we walk next door to the reception hall. The front of the building has been completely repaired. No one would ever know I blew the front off of it a week ago.

After Ryker and I are presented, we dine on a seven-course meal. There's dancing and receiving lines. Smiles and congratulations. Piles of gifts.

Except while we dine, Ryker stays by my side, his hand pressed into the small of my back. If he's angry about what happened with Lena, he isn't showing it.

A bell rings, silencing the crowd. Mother stands and addresses the guests. "It's time to bid the new couple goodnight."

Kyra's at my side, patting my hand. "Are you nervous?"

I swallow the lump in my throat. "Something like that."

She giggles. "I'll come over tomorrow and you can tell me all about it, okay."

I don't bother to say there will be nothing to tell. Ryker won't touch me. Beck said as much. "Okay."

Ryker bows to me and I place my hand in his. He leads me to the side door. All around us, guests laugh and cheer.

And then we're outside. With just Oliver and Dawson. The younger of my guards drapes my wrap over my shoulders. With a nod, Dawson pushes the exit open. A few people still linger, waiting for one more glimpse of us. They wave, but I keep my head down and concentrate on the air rus.h.i.+ng in and out of my lungs.

A transporter waits for us. I've only been in one a handful of times since they're mainly used for special occasions, but from the way Ryker grasps the handle on his seat, I can tell he's never been in one.

As we travel away from the hall, it occurs to me I have no idea where our new home is. We turn on to Spruce Street. I tap Oliver on the shoulder. "Are we going to Mother's?"

He shakes his head. "Your house is on Jackson. A block over."

I envision the street layout and my heart stops.

"Kyra lives on Jackson," I say to Ryker, hoping he understands what I'm implying.

He draws his eyebrows together. "Wonderful."

The transporter stops before Kyra's house. Dawson points at the yellow house across the street, next to Annalise's. "Welcome home, Miss Lark and Mr. Ryker."

The only thing that could possibly be worse is if Mother had us living with Kyra. "Looks like we won the housing lottery."

Ryker sits on one end of a long sofa with me on the other. Since Oliver and Dawson showed us to our bedroom, we've both been pretending the other one isn't in the room. It's funny, up until a few months ago, we'd always lived in the same house, ate our meals together, saw each other in our night clothes. But we've never really been alone.

To say this is awkward is an understatement and if I don't do something-anything-soon, I'm going to die.

"Do you want to explore the house?" I ask. So far, neither of us have mentioned Lena or Beck, and I'm okay with that. "It looks fabo, as Kyra would say."

He fidgets with his green wristlet and avoids my eyes. "I'm hungry. Maybe order something to eat? I couldn't eat at the reception."

"I'll call the cook. What would you like? Something with bananas?" Bethina used to tease Ryker that he'd turn into a monkey because he ate so many bananas. At least I know this about my mate.

Ryker pretends to study the view out the window. "That would be great. And maybe some milk?"

There are a million things I want to say, starting with, "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you," but instead, I'm speaking into my wristlet and giving orders to the staff. Our staff. I keep forgetting I have my own household now. And a mate. Or two, depending on how you count.

While I place our order, I catch Ryker sneaking looks at me. You'd think years of familiarity would give me a hint to his thoughts, but I draw a blank.

"Do you need help getting that off?" he says quietly, pointing at my dress. Almost like he hopes I can't hear him. But I do. And my face instantly burns in embarra.s.sment.

We both know if we don't seal our binding, Mother will know in the morning. Not that we'll having matching auras like Beck and I did. But I'm fairly sure she has our wristlets on extra monitoring.

Plus, she gave me express instructions to not fail in this area. And I'm sure she said something similar to Ryker at the reception.

Still, Beck told me Ryker wouldn't touch me and I hope that's true.

My back hurts from the weight of the old-fas.h.i.+oned, non-smart fabric dress. I need to take it off unless I'm planning to sleep in it, which would send a clear message that Ryker and I haven't consummated our relations.h.i.+p. Unfortunately, I can't do it alone.

I twist my hands into a knot and keep my eyes down. "Yes, please."

He walks stiffly to me, and I turn my back to him. He mumbles something, and without touching me, the dress falls loose around my hips, exposing my undergarments. I quickly bend and scoop the dress to my chest.

Someone knocks.

"Enter," Ryker says from the half of the room he's retreated to. Thankfully, a maid whose name I've yet to learn peers in, not Annalise or Mother.

She hurries across the room and sets a covered tray on the coffee table before exiting.

Ryker lifts the lid and plucks a dish of bananas and cream from the tray. "It's good. Why don't you eat something?"

I feel odd walking around with my dress half-off. "I'm going to change. Maybe when I come back."

"Where are you going to change?" he asks.

My body sways slightly under the bulk of the dress. "In the bathroom."

Ryker laughs. "Seriously? We're supposed to spend every night for the rest of our lives together and you're going to change in the bathroom?"

I draw my brows together. "I thought you knew our relations.h.i.+p was in name only?"

He folds his arms across his chest and narrows his eyes. "I'm your mate. We share everything now."

"Excuse me?" I stare at him blankly. Is he testing me? Or trying to upset me?

With noticeably shaking hands, Ryker unties his shoe laces. When he's done, his shoulders sag, and he flops back into the tower of pillows on the bed.

"Don't make this more awkward than it needs to be."

If I were a normal girl, perhaps I would blush. Or maybe even glance away. But I am not a normal girl. I concentrate on the b.u.t.tons of his dress s.h.i.+rt and imagine each one heating up. Warmth build inside me and a mischievous grin lights up my face. Ryker pops a chocolate from his bedside table in his mouth.

The b.u.t.tons begin to glow yellow, then orange.

"I've been told I'm quite good, you know." He grins at me. "Why don't you come find out?

Flames burst from the b.u.t.tons.

"I'm afraid you're too hot for me."

"What the h.e.l.l!" Ryker jumps from the bed. "Out! Out!" He screams as the flames creep lower, toward his pants. "I was joking!"

I lie down on the bed, my gown folded neatly over my knees, and watch my new mate flail. Serves him right.

Ryker bats his clothes. "I'm sorry. Make it stop."

"Out." The flames die.

Ryker's breath comes in panicked pants. "It was a joke, Lark. I don't want you anymore than you want me. You know that!"

"I don't know anything! What game are you playing, Ryker? You help...our friend hide. And then you try to a.s.sault me."

Color drains from his face. "I didn't try to a.s.sault you. Don't be so dramatic. I made a bad joke." He kicks at the bedpost. "But what you did to Lena, that wasn't a joke."

I gape at him. "So that's what this is about? You're upset because I won't let you have a human pet?"

He cringes. "Listen to yourself! You sound like Kyra."

Magic still trills along my skin and I'm not sure what to do with it, so I release as much as I can on the nearest chair. It disintegrates.

"Holy h.e.l.l!" Ryker says, heading toward the door. "You're seriously messed up. Do you realize that? f.u.c.king crazy."

The door slams shut behind him.

Part of me wants to run after Ryker and demand he apologize for yelling at me. But the other part knows he's right.

I'm not only going insane, I'm losing my humanity.

25.

"You cannot set Ryker on fire, Love. It's completely unacceptable." Mother paces before me and her blue eyes flash with agitation. "What were you thinking?"

Mid-morning light spills through the oversized picture window of my front room. Across the street, I can see Kyra's house. Somewhere, inside, is Beck. I wonder what he's doing.

"Are you listening to me?"

I play with the hem of my nightgown. Ryker never came back last night, and I have no idea where he's gone. I'm sure Mother does though, since she's here reprimanding me. But I haven't bothered locating him. It's probably best if he stays away.

"He was teasing me," I say, half-heartedly.

Mother tilts her head. "How?"

I stammer. "He..."

"Tried to get you in bed?" she finishes for me. "That's what he's supposed to do. He's your mate. And an eighteen-year-old boy. I'd be worried if he didn't try."

I stare at my bare feet; Mother surprised me before I had a chance to change into my day clothes. "Are we done?"

She rubs her hands together. "Do you know where your mate is?" she asks.

"Which one?" I sa.s.s.

Mother flies across the room and I recoil in antic.i.p.ation of her slap. However, at the last second, she composes herself and plasters a fake smile on her face. "You only have one mate and his name is Ryker Newbold. Do not forget that, Love."

"How can I?"

Her fingers twitch in anger as she struggles to keep her magic in check. "This will not happen again, is that understood?"

I grit my teeth. "Yes."

After she's gone, I lean against the window. Across the street, Miss Tully walks past carrying a shopping basket piled high with baked goods, and two of Kyra's maids beat out a rug in the side yard.

Every time Kyra's front door opens, I pray that it's Beck. But it never is. Just delivery men, maids, and other help.

Maybe Beck has left? Getting as far from me and my craziness as possible would be the reasonable thing to do.

But when has Beck ever listened to reason?

Which means, he's probably still over there. I bounce from foot-to-foot. I could run over for a visit with Kyra. No one would think that it's odd. Granted, I'm supposed to spend the next six days locked up with Ryker, but since he's not here, why should I sit around the house?

Someone knocks on the door. "Yes?" I ask, turning from the scene out the window.

"Good Morning, Miss Lark," Dawson says. Since I'm in my night clothes, he keeps his eyes politely averted. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but you have a well-wisher. Maz Matsu."

That's odd. Why would he be here without Kyra? Unless he's bringing a message from Beck? "I'll meet him in the library in ten minutes."

Dawson draws the front room door shut and I race up the back stairs to my room. I quickly slip on a dress and pull my hair into a ponytail. I have no time or need for make-up. Besides, Maz has seen me looking my worst.

I scurry down the stairs. As I near the library, I can hear the nervous patter of Maz's tapping foot.

"There she is!" Maz strides quickly across the room and lifts me from the ground. I stiffen in surprise. In all the years we've known each other, Maz has never hugged me. He squeezes me tighter.

"It's...nice to see you too." My heart is still, which means Maz is Maz, not Beck in disguise. "Where's Kyra?"

Maz lowers me back down to earth. "She's still asleep. You know how she is."

I nod. Bethina used to force Kyra from bed with threats.