Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 30

"Since when do you two get along with her?" he linked the guards.

"Since pretty much the start. She's very nice, Beta."

He frowned and hurried after them.

"What did you need me for?" she asked, pushing open the front door and stepping outside. She tipped her head back, shaking her hair from her face, and closed her eyes against the light. She ran her hands through her locks and stretched a little.

"You can go," Austin said to the guards, shooting them mildly annoyed looks because they had allowed themselves to be charmed by Ryleigh.

"Bye, Seth. Bye, Nate. See you in a bit," she said, shooting them another smile. Austin was pretty sure she was doing it on purpose – making friends with everyone but him just to show him he was the problem. Well, he wasn't.

"I didn't know you were following Camden's classes," he said.

"This was the first time. Carry took me with her. I enjoyed it. I've been awfully bored, you know. Imprisonment is tedious, especially since you won't let me join training either."

"Ridge said you're not nearly strong enough to be fighting. Besides, I don't trust you."

She scowled at him, but dropped the topic. "So, why are you here? Did you miss me?"

"Goddess no."

Ryleigh chuckled. "Want to take a stroll? I'm restless." She didn't wait for his reply and started walking, trusting he'd follow. And he did.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Still a bit painful, but I can move it around just fine." She lifted her left arm as proof. "I have to say, I thought anyone willing to be your mate has to be at least a little bit delusional, but I like Julie."

"You do?"

"O, yeah. She intrigues me. I'm glad she's back."

The slightest crease formed between his brow. "You are?"

"Are you serious? Yes. Of course."

"Why?"

Her eyes found his. "You ask so many questions. Because it's all a bit too intense, isn't it? Everyone wants us together except for us. And Conall, but he doesn't really count, since he's just against everything. Julie is on our side, I imagine."

"Right. Our side."

"Yeah, you know. The side that wants me out of here by the end of the month. Or sooner, preferably, but you won't let me."

He turned his eyes skywards and decided a change of topic might be wise. "So, how come you don't already know all the things Camden is teaching? It's pretty basic stuff."

A shadow travelled over her face. "I'm not dumb, you know."

"I wasn't saying –"

"You were calling me out on not knowing the things he is teaching teenagers."

"I don't think you're dumb. I'm just surprised. Most packs teach history. Doesn't yours?"

She hesitated, regarding him with narrowed eyes. "They do."

"But?"

"You're fishing for information."

"Yes, and you're refusing to give it to me. Come on, this you can tell me, surely."

She pressed her lips together, regarding him with a look he couldn't quite measure. "I was sick a lot as a kid. I missed a lot of school. My parents taught me some things but history wasn't important to them, so they didn't bother telling me too much. I've tried reading up on it, but I haven't had many opportunities."

"You were sick a lot? Werewolves aren't sick often."

Ryleigh moved her gaze down to the muddy ground underneath her feet. It was rare that she voluntarily broke eye contact and Austin wondered if he'd crossed a line he hadn't known was even there.

"I have a long and complicated history with silver," she said. "The first time I got silvered, I was six. It was a wrong place, wrong time kind of moment. Took an arrow to the abdomen." She lifted up her shirt and showed him a silverish scar. She shrugged. "Took me out of the running for a while."

Austin knew enough about silver to know that children reacted even more strongly to it. "I'm sorry to hear it."

"Don't be. Did you know that if you get silvered with little quantities, you build up a sort of resistance to it? If I hadn't gotten silvered back then, I might not be breathing right now."

"I didn't know that," Austin said. "You must have quite a resistance by now, then." He glanced at her, not sure in how much of a sharing mood she was. "Most of your scars are from silver, aren't they? The one on your shoulder seems the worst."

Her hand moved to cradle her shoulder, a frown marring her features. She caught herself doing it and stuffed her hands into her pockets instead. "I don't talk about that."

She avoided his gaze and something pulled at his heart. Sympathy? Maybe. Was it the mate bond giving him a taste of her pain? Who knew.

"You've had a difficult life, haven't you?"

She didn't respond to that, but the way her eyes fluttered close for a second and her whole body tensed said it all. And Austin knew that when the month was over, she was going to go back to that life.

******

That night, Austin listened to Ryleigh stirring fretfully. After a few minutes, she drew in a sharp breath.

"Austin?"

He rolled onto his back, turning his head to look at her. They'd been laying quietly in the dark for a while and his eyes had grown sufficiently accustomed to the night to make out her shape, and the dim glow of gold that glazed over her eyes.

"I need you to get in bed with me," she said, a gasp cutting off her words.

"What?"

She writhed, clenching her teeth. "Please."

He pushed his covers away and pushed to his feet. "Are you sure?"

"Now."

He slipped into her bed – his bed. She released a shaky breath as his scent surrounded her at its full force.

"Give me your hand," she said, flinching. He moved his hand under the covers, searching for hers and finding it with little trouble. She wrapped her fingers around his and her eyes returned to black. "Thanks."

"No problem." She was so close her breath fanned his face. He didn't think he'd ever been this close to her. "So, should I just stay here?"

She nodded. "Yes. At least until it's over."

"Do you want to tell me what 'it' is yet?"

"Nice try. Make yourself comfortable. I have a feeling this might take a while. Best to just go to sleep if you can." She was lying on her side, facing him, her eyes shut and her warm hand still in his. Her hair was framing her face and sprawled out over her pillow, which made her look far more innocent than she was.

"I can feel you staring at me," she said.

He closed his eyes, but it didn't matter. Her face was burned into his memory. 

______

A/N: Ryleigh's going back to school and Austin finally gets to sleep in his own bed again, even if just for the night. Interesting things happening ;) 

Thanks for reading!