☽ S i l v e r b a n e ☾ {DISCONTINUED}

Chapter Seventeen

Darkness met my eyes as I cracked them open, and I wondered what time it was. It must have been early, maybe 6 am.

I closed my eyes and snuggled deeper into the comforter, nestling my face into my pillow. I winced slightly as a bout of soreness washed through my body. Why was I sore?

In a sudden recollection, I bolted straight up, glancing beside me to dimly make out a sleeping Ryder, hair tusseled, mouth open, and probably looking an adorable mess.

I glanced away, running a hand through my hair, blowing out a sigh. 

I must have drifted off to sleep again, becasue the next time I woke up, Ryder was gone, and breakfast was tantilizing my nose on the side table. 

I stretched, wincing again at the soreness that seemed to have only increased in the last few hours.

"Knock, knock," came a familiar female voice from outside the door.

"Come in, Adri," I called, biting into a bagel lathered with strawberry cream cheese.

Adri's curled blond locks peeked around the door. 

"Are you decent?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow saucily.

I paused mid-chew, mouth open.

"Mhwat?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Oh, don't think news doesn't travel in this pack. Everyone knows we have a Luna now. An offical Luna, I should say." She winked cheekily.

"Bhey mow?"

"Of course they know. Who doesn't?"

I could feel my face heat up, blood flushing my cheeks.

Adri smirked.

"Don't worry. Even if we hadn't known by Ryder's abnormally good mood, we heard you all across the forest."

My cheeks grew ever warmer.

"It's so fun teasing you," Adri commented, winking at me.

"Now come on, you have a rematch with Ryder."

- - -

"Let's see what you're made of, baby girl."

I glared at Ryder and his annoying, self-satisfied smirk. 

He circled me, predatorily, that smirk on his face and a fierce glow in his eyes. I watched his lithe body movements, how effortlessly he moved. I knew he wasn't going to be a quick fight, and he wasn't going to go easy on me either.

He circled me again, and I followed him with my eyes, watching for any shift, any difference in movement that would alert me to his imminent attack.

"I never start a fight, Ryder. Ladies just don't do that," I called to him in a sweetly innocent voice. 

He chuckled. "Oh we both know you're not a lady, Astoria. You're an animal."

Heat pooled in my stomach, and I was about to just say, "Fuck the fight, lets just get naked," but I controlled my wolf. She was constantly horny since Ryder and I had completed the mating process.

I replied by growling playfully, smirking as I imitated a paw with my hand, before letting my claws come out as I semi-shifted.

"I like it." And I like you. A lot. So let's move to the bedroom.

I shook my head, focusing. If I got off for even a second-

He sprang at me so suddenly that the fight would have been over right then. I couldn't let him pin me.

His arm came up to punch, and my right forearm blocked it, jarring my teeth from how hard he hit down. Damn, that would bruise. 

Using the position, I quickly pushed his arm away, and as he fell back, I kicked out my left leg to sweep his feet out from under him.

He grabbed my foot, twisting it, until I had no choice but to go down on my knee and kick his leg out with my right, before slamming my elbow into his exposed upper thigh.

He fell back from that, watching me, as I sprang up, pushing the dark tendrils of hair away from my sweaty face that had escaped my ponytail. 

"Nice defense, but you're still lacking, babe."

Lacking? I was lacking?

I knew he was only trying to get me riled up so I wouldn't think, and damn was it working. 

"You know what? You're the one lacking," I replied, knowing he would know exactly what I meant.

"Oh, baby, believe me. I am not lacking. You proved that by practically waking the neighbors last night."

His smirk needed to be smacked off. By me. Right now.

I launched myself at him, a flurry of flying fists and kicks and hits, which he effortlessly blocked. 

Dear God, would I even get one good hit on him?

He suddenly pushed back, making me back up quickly as he advanced. I tried to slow his pace, but couldn't seem to lessen it.

Suddenly, my back was against the wall, and I used it to my advantage, going down and sliding between his legs across the slick hardwood floor.

With his back to me, I got a good punch into his right shoulder. 

My fisted hand then flew up as he turned, and found purchase on the curve of his jawline, impacting hard.

Ryder froze.

I suddenly worried I had taken things to far. His hand flew up to his jaw and he gripped it, running his thumb along the area.

I stood, my lip in my mouth. Was he going to be angry at me?

Ryder leaned towards me, his eyes flickering over my face and assessing my reaction.

"Good job, baby girl," he whispered into my ear, his arms coming to wrap around my waist.

I was shocked to say the least. He wasn't pissed? Could I really trust him?

"What?" I breathed, my voice shocked, breathless, unsure.

"You landed a good one on me. Not even Devon has been able to do that. No one has, in fact, since I was very young. Good job," he said, as his fingers traced the curve of my hip, his lips caressing my ear sensually.

"Oh," I breathed, my voice shocked. Victory! But my wolf wasn't dwelling on that, no, she was focused and hyperaware of Ryder's body on me.

"I believe a celebration is in order," he whispered against my neck.

I could only nod; speech had left me at the moment.

And that's how we ended up having celebratory sex in the fighting room.

- - - - -

Sorry, still sorting stuff out. Here's a quick but necessary filler. BTW jsyk this book is NOT just about sex. So those of you messaging me, you can't just have a book based on sex. Hell, even 50SoG has a plotline beyond all the kinky stuff. So, I'm sorry I'm not JUST writing sex, but I want to write an all around good book for everyone. Love all of you so much! Thanks for dealing with all my crap recently. It's been a tough time :/