Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 16

"You sure?"

She wasn't, but he was a bit too close for comfort. "Yes."

His jaw tightened but he loosened his hold on her hands and she quickly pulled them free before he'd change his mind. She looked down at her hands, gently pushing her left cuff up to her hand to be able to inspect the deep wound circling her wrist, wincing as her fingers brushed over it.

"I'm going to need to clean that," Ridge said. "Don't want it getting infected."

"It'll be fine," Ryleigh said.

"Beta?" Ridge shot him a look.

"What? O. Ryleigh, let him take care of you. That's an order."

She barked a laugh. "An order? You're not my beta."

"But you are my prisoner, so you're just going to have to deal with me being in charge."

"O, is that what you are, huh? In charge? Sounds to me like the beta is trying to be an alpha."

"Don't be like this." He had to keep himself from sighing. She was harder to deal with than Carry – which said something. "He's going to clean your wounds and you're going to let him."

"That so?"

"Yes. And he's going to do it right now, right in front of me, so that I can be sure it happens." He crossed his arms and sat down on the chair beside Ryleigh's bed. She raised her brows at him, but he met her gaze with an equally defiant one of his own and at last she sighed.

"Fine. Do me a favour, doc, and wrap them up while you're at it. The silver in the cuffs stings like the teeth of a rogue." The cuffs were itchy as was, but coming into contact with her open flesh, they burned.

"Will do," Ridge said, getting to work. He unlocked the cuff of the hand he was working on, leaving the other securely intact, and when done, he made sure she was safely rechained before he undid the other one.

"Happy now?" Ryleigh asked when it was done, eyeing Austin with her brows raised.

"Ecstatic."

"I live to serve. Now, go back to bed. I'm fine, it's over, I don't need you." She shimmied back under her covers.

"No," he said. "I'm staying."

Her head snapped to him, surprise lining her features. "There's no reason to stay."

"What if you get another attack?"

"It wasn't an attack. I told you – "

"Yes, a nightmare, I know. What if you get another 'nightmare'?"

"Then I'm sure Ridge will betray me again and link you."

"I can help you faster if I'm here."

She impatiently waved her chained hands. "I don't want your help."

"That doesn't mean you don't need it."

"I don't need it. Go to bed." There was a sharpness to her voice that rubbed him the wrong way.

"Fine, but then if you do get another attack, I'm not coming."

"I didn't even want you to come this time, so that's fine by me."

"Have it your way. Ridge, don't bother linking me if she gets crazy again." Without another word he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Once he was gone, Ryleigh released a slow breath and tried to find a position that didn't hurt.

"Well," Ridge said, putting away his supplies again. "That was interesting."

"What, the nightmare or the argument?"

"Both. It didn't look like a nightmare to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone's an expert."

He chuckled gently and perched himself on the edge of the bed beside hers. "You sure managed to piss the beta off. It usually takes more for him to lose his patience."

"I have a talent."

"I've noticed. So, how are you? Can't imagine that 'nightmare' to have done you much good."

"Doesn't matter much as long as you refuse to give me pain killers."

"They'd kill you."

"I doubt it."

"I can make you more herbal tea. Might help a little."

"A drop in the ocean. Just keep me busy for a while, yeah? Talk to me?"

"About what?"

"Anything. Tell me about you."

"I'm not very interesting."

"Come on, help me out. How many kids do you have? What was the name of your daughter again? The one I hurt? Sorry about that, by the way."

"Sky," he said. "She's a warrior. Tough woman, never lets anyone stop her."

"Is she your only child?"

"The only living one, yes. She and the son I lost four years ago were the only two."

"Right. Julie's mate."

"Yes." He smiled, staring down at the ground. "Goddess, those two were close. From the moment they met, they were inseparable. It broke her when she lost him."

"Did many people lose mates in that battle?"

"The one between Midnight Moon and Golden Dawn? O, yes. Sky lost hers. Ellis lost his. Hundreds of wolves died that day, including the alpha and luna."

She nodded slowly, fidgeting with the hem of her covers. "I do know how to pick my topics, huh? We can talk about something else."

"It's fine. It's good to remember them. They were good people."

"Must have been weird for you to see Julie move on."

"O, yes." He sucked his teeth, thinking. "You know, I'm going to be honest with you: I have never really approved of her and Austin's relationships, and I'm not the only one."

"Why? I might not like Austin very much, but he seems like a decent guy."

"He is. He's a good man. But to me it has always felt like they forced something that wasn't there. I don't blame them for seeking a remedy against their loneliness, but I just wished they wouldn't have chosen each other. We all knew the day might come Austin was going to meet his mate and I've tried warning her things would get messy, but she didn't listen."

"And here I am."

"Here you are."

"I have no intention of getting between them," she said, making direct eye contact to drive the statement home. "I don't care about Austin. I don't care about the mate bond. I have no use for it."

"Well, you have three weeks left, give or take, so I guess we'll see if you still feel that way at the end of the month."

"I will."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe. Or maybe the both of you will come to realise that fate is sacred and that nothing quite compares to it. Take it from someone who has had a fated mate: there is nothing like it afterwards."

"I appreciate that, but I'm not like you. I have no trouble believing fate is unique, but I just have a different plan for my life. Anyway, I'm fine now. You should go to bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Well, actually, can you help me go to the bathroom first?"

He did and went to bed. When he woke up in the morning and stepped into the infirmary, Ryleigh's bed was empty. 

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A/N: A nightmare (or 'attack', as Austin likes calling it) and another escape attempt. Lots of stuff happening. Place your bets - how far is she going to make it? 

Thanks for reading!