The Wolf’s Pregnant Rejected Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #2)

Chapter 18 - Ryder

Ryder’s tail swished back and forth as he circled his prey. Her small white form cowered on the forest floor, her ears pressed back against her skull. Even in her wolf form, her eyes were blue. His lips pulled back in a silent snarl, and he lunged at her, snapping at her ear. Tess rolled over, yelping. But as he went for her, she was suddenly gone.

Her growls filled the forest as her teeth latched on the back of his neck. She shook herself, pulling out wads of fur. Ryder yelped, and Tess released him, backing off. Her tail wagged as he whirled on her. She spanked the ground and then pranced around him, yipping in triumph. Ryder’s tongue lolled from his mouth as he panted.

He’d found this clearing in the forest and had filled a bunch of garden hoses with salt to form a protective circle around its edges. Their sparring matches had been getting a little too… intense… for the backyard. It was best to have the privacy of the woods, with the protection of the circle. Tess had implanted the talisman, just like the special ops team, but there was no such thing as too careful.

He paced around Tess, watching for her to drop her guard so he could get in. She’d played him well with that attack. Her skill had exploded over the past month since they’d started their training. She really was a natural at all of this.

Tess circled with him, not letting him get at her back. Good. Though they’d been sparring for over an hour already, she wasn’t showing signs of slowing—her endurance had improved greatly as well.

Ryder feigned a lunge. Tess went to meet him, but as he drew back, she overstepped. She lost her balance, and Ryder dodged in again, knocking her shoulder with his. Tess turned, snapping at his flank, but she was too slow this time. He’d grabbed hold of her tail and quickly ran backward, tugging her. Tess scrambled back, snarling at him.

He released her tail and pounced, using his weight to crush her against the earth. Tess snarled again and wriggled back. He let her free herself, then playfully batted as she snapped and pawed at him. Finally, she rammed him with her full body strength. They fell together, and Ryder shifted to human form as they did. He kept them rolling as Tess shifted back.

They stopped with Tess straddling him, her hands tight against his wrists as she pinned his hands above his head.

Ryder grinned up at her. “We’ve done enough for right now. It’s time to take a break.”

Tess kept hold of his wrists. “Giving up, huh? Afraid that I’m going to beat you?”

“No, just enjoying the view.” Ryder laughed as Tess blushed. Even after a month, getting her to blush was still so easy. He admired the way her breasts hung over his face.

“You let me pin you,” Tess accused. “You pervert.”

“Hey, you’re the one who’s pinning me down, Tess. If anyone’s a pervert…” he wiggled his brows suggestively.

Tess rocked her hips, grinding herself against him. “You are. You’re the one that gets turned on by fighting.”

“You say that as though you don’t.”

She smirked at him. “Well, you have been training me, haven’t you? We fight, then we fuck. It’s only natural that my body has started to get the memo.”

Her motions hardened him. Ryder greedily watched her breasts bounce as she leaned back, pulling his hands with her. She put them on her hips and gyrated over him, eliciting a groan. Fuck, but he loved it when she took control. She was still hesitant, still peeking at him as though she expected him to roll her off and be the one pinning her to the ground.

They’d done that often enough. Ryder wanted to watch her this time. “You’ve made so much progress, Tess. I’m proud of you.”

“Does that mean I’ve earned a reward?” she asked breathlessly.

Ryder nodded, moving her hips with his hands. His breathing was coming in quicker gasps, too, his eyes darkening. Excitement pulsed through him as Tess reached between them. “What do you want to do this time? A new position? Or an old familiar? You haven’t been on top before. You want to, since we’re already here?”

Tess took hold of him, stroking him. “I wouldn’t know what to do on top.”

“Fuck, Tess.” His hands tightened as he hardened even further. “Yes, you do. Just keep doing exactly what you’re already doing.”

She groaned, leaning over him to capture his mouth in hers.

Their tongues tangled, Tess’s body pressed against his. The heat of their skin melded them together, the smell of each other growing stronger. Ryder grabbed her ass, pulling her tightly toward him as her hand moved, bringing him to full salute.

A howl burst through the forest. Tess jerked away, her eyes widening. The crashing of branches snapped around them. Ryder pushed Tess off, rolling to his feet. He shifted to his wolf form, growling low in his throat. Tess shifted as well, keeping her form low to the ground.

A figure dashed out of the forest. A sleek, earth-brown wolf tripped over the salt-filled garden hose. Elin. She tumbled over her head, and when she scrambled back to her feet, she froze. Her eyes widened, then she dropped to her belly when she recognized them. She whimpered, looking over her shoulder.

Tess moved forward and mouthed Elin’s shoulder, urging her to get deeper into the circle. Ryder watched, her ears pricked forward. The scent of brimstone soon greeted his nostrils, and he growled under his breath. Fucking demons! They hadn’t come this close to town in a month—the additional protections Hayden had ordered put in place seemed to be working.

And now the fuckers had ruined what had been an excellent day so far.

They emerged from the forest slowly, ears swiveling. They sniffed the air and watched the rest of the forest. Ryder growled low in his throat as he nudged Elin and Tess behind him. The bushes crunched as a beast-demon joined them. It was a small one, only a little bigger than a mule. The twisted horns on its head were only a few inches long, its short fur still riddled with the spots of the young creatures.

Double fuck! It’d been a year since the last beast-demon had been killed. They must have found another nest and hatched this one out. How many more did they have?

He didn’t have much time to think about it. The big wolf sidled up next to the beast-demon. He snorted, a grin spreading over his wolf’s face. The Demon Seed hung around his neck, glowing as flickers of electricity arced over the surface. It seemed super-charged somehow. The wolf glanced down at the garden hose and lunged. He didn’t step over the circle, but a bolt of red light shot through the air.

It went for Tess, and Ryder had just enough time to throw himself in the path before it collided with her. Pain flared through him, like being electrocuted. A burning sensation focused on his abdomen, where the talisman was implanted. His vision started to darken at the outsides as he stumbled.

Tess whined, pressing up against him. Ryder growled softly, then threw his head back and howled. All wolves that heard it would know the call.

The big wolf threw his head back. too, howling long and clear. The other demons wagged their tails and slapped the ground with their front paws. They started to yip and yowl. The beast-demon clawed the ground and threw its head, letting out a bellow. It charged forward only to be thrown back at the edge of the salt circle.

Tess growled, facing the big wolf. Ryder didn’t spare a glance at her as he put himself between the Demon Seed and the two women. The big wolf prowled around the circle's edge, clearly waiting for the chance to shoot another arc at the women. And if the Demon Seed could get over the salt circle, then would the talismans keep protecting them?

Elin shrank to her belly, whimpering. What had she been doing out in the forest in the first place? Over the last month, she had barely left the house without Blayke or Finn with her—

The beast-demon slammed into the invisible barrier again—and the hose moved. It flipped up, landing back down several feet closer to the wolves within the protection.

Ryder’s heart stuttered. One of the possessed wolves nosed the hose and nudged it a few inches inward before the wolf yelped and jumped back.

The hose.

They couldn’t touch the salt, but they could touch the hose. It was just enough of an insulation that the demons could move it. The demons started yipping again as the big wolf circled them. They all started to nudge the hose, moving it closer and closer to the wolves trapped inside.

Adrenaline shot through Ryder’s body. Tess stood tense and growling, but Elin was on the ground. Her eyes were shut tight as though she was trying to pretend that she didn’t exist. How could he protect them both if it came to a fight?