75

Stella discharged me but put me on bed rest for the next two days, I was itching to do something, anything at this point, I even missed training. Chase was busy during the days as he attended university and my father still hadn’t come to talk to me.

I walked into the house at nine am and went upstairs to my room to have a decent shower. I stood under the hot water for as long as my throbbing leg allowed me and walked into my room with the towel wrapped around my waist.

“You look much better,” she said as she sat on my bed.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“I live here now, it’s good to see you Ryder,” she said as she stood up.

“I really can’t say the same,” I said as I walked to my dressing room and started getting dressed.

She was standing behind me shamelessly watching me as I got dressed. I ignored her as much as possible until she wrapped her arms around me from behind. I was holding my shirt in my hands and I pried her hands loose.

“I missed you,” she said softly as she looked up at me.

“I have things to do, don’t come into my room uninvited again,” I said to her in a cold tone.

“You owe me an explanation,” she said.

“I owe you nothing,” I said as I pushed past her and headed out of my room.

“Ryder, I’ve been waiting all this time for you,” she said sounding half irritated.

“I never asked you to wait for me, hell I never even gave you the idea that you should Tia,” I said raising my voice a little.

“I love you,” she said and tried to place her arms around me again.

“Don’t touch me,” I said as I backed away from her.

Lucas’s office door was open and unoccupied and I walked down the stairs hoping that he wasn’t in the house. I didn’t know what to say to him and my last words face to face had been in anger. I knew he would want some sort of explanation about what happened to me and I wasn’t sure if I would tell him.

I found Martha in the kitchen and she hugged me for a long time. She made me an omelet and watched me as I ate. She didn’t ask me any questions but she just looked at me sadly and suddenly I felt guilty because I also hadn’t spoken to my mother the entire time I’d been gone.

“Ryder,” my father said from behind me and I looked up at him.

“Yes?” I answered.

“Join me in the meeting room when you’re done,” he said and turned around again.

“I’m done,” I said and stood up.

I was still walking with a slight limp and for a minute I thought Lucas looked concerned but the emotion was gone quickly as I entered the meeting room with him. The three Elders were sitting on one side of the table as Lucas made his way to the head of it and on the other side sat Wentworth and Joe.

“Morning Elders,” I said and bowed my head at them.

“Sir,” I said and straightened up as I stood at ease not looking directly at Wentworth.

“Pleas take a seat Ryder, we can see that you have not yet completely healed from your injuries,” Elder Victor said and I sat down opposite Lucas on the other end of the table.

“How are you feeling kid?” Wentworth asked me.

“Not too bad Sir, I should be fully healed and ready for my next assignment in a week’s time,” I said to him.

“You can proceed to give your report on your last assignment now,” Wentworth said and I looked at him.

“Sir? In front of civilians?” I asked him and Lucas glared at me.

“Your report will be made public knowledge soon,” he said to me and I nodded.

“Felix and I headed to the location in Colorado that you sent to us. We stopped the vehicle approximately five miles away and flew in on Abeloth’s back. We landed on the roof and made our way down to a balcony and gained access to the house through an open sliding door. The house was quiet but we could smell mingled scents downstairs. We realized the scents were wolf the moment we stepped into the empty foyer. Felix checked the downstairs room when he triggered a wire. The room started filling up with gas, dragon’s lily and angel’s trumpet. Felix and I managed to break the door down to get to the outside,” I said as Wentworth held up his hand.

“Are you saying that it was an ambush?” he asked me.

“Yes Sir, about nine wolves and three vampires were waiting for us outside. The vampires targeted Felix first and snapped his neck while Abeloth and I fought off the wolves separately. I could feel the poisonous gas in my system and one wolf managed to inject me with dragon venom. I killed him in close combat with my knife and the second man shifted into his wolf form and started biting me. I killed him too and Felix regained consciousness. That’s when the last vampire stood behind him and tore his throat out,” I said and lowered my head as I saw Felix die again and I choked back the emotions.

“I’m sorry kid,” Wentworth said as I nodded my head.

“The vampire had broken a few of my ribs prior to killing Felix and he had me. I had no fight left in me, I was bleeding out, I had dragon’s lily and dragon venom in my system and I couldn’t communicate with Abeloth. The vampire’s teeth was on my neck and I shot him eight times through my own shoulder and then snapped his neck,” I said.

“We found a vampire with a crushed skull, was that him?” Joe asked me.

“Yes, Abeloth returned to me at that time and crushed his skull. He merged with me to help me heal and we stayed there until dawn. I found a car and made my way back to our entry point and switched vehicles again. I started driving, I was tired, not really healing from the poison and after a few hours of driving I rolled the car. Abeloth saved me and I only realized that he had brought me here after I regained consciousness and I immediately checked in with you,” I said.

“You’ve done the supernatural world a great service,” Elder Michael said and looked at me proudly.

“Thank you Elder, I was just doing my duty,” I said to him.

“What I want to know is how you can send in two operatives to take out whole rogue packs and covens on their own,” Lucas asked and I could hear he was trying to control his anger.

“Have you seen this kid fight?” Wentworth asked with a chuckle.

“I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself,” I said to Lucas.

“Yeah that’s how you ended up half dead in the back yard,” he said and I shook my head.

“Did you know this kid is the only person ever to come through the Elite Unit able to catch a vampire running towards him at full speed?” Joe asked Lucas.

“The fact still remains that Ryder was seventeen when you enlisted him into your unit, the age to join is twenty,” he said angrily.

“He’s that good, I’m not sorry,” Wentworth said.

“Sire Lucas has a valid point Mr. Black. Unfortunately Ryder will not be going back for any more assignments since he’s still not of age to join that unit and as a future Sire he has responsibilities here,” Elder Cliff said.

“What?” I asked angrily.

“He’s one of the best operatives we’ve had in a very long time,” Wentworth said.

“My son will not be returning to your unit or I will have you shut down and exiled before you can even blink,” Lucas said threateningly.

“I’m sorry kid,” Wentworth said to me, “it’s been a real pleasure working with you.”

“Thank you Sir,” I said to him.

“Damn shame,” he said as he stood up and shook my hand, “take care of yourself.”

"Sir, has Felix's family been informed?" I asked him.

"They have."

Wentworth and Joe left the meeting room as I stood behind my chair and looked at my father. I knew he’d be mad but I didn’t think he’d threaten Wentworth just to have me at home.

“We’ll be having a lair meeting soon to announce your return and ease you into your new duties,” Lucas said still not looking at me.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked him.

“You always have a choice Ryder, I hope you’ll make the right one here,” he said and stood up.

“We’ll see you at the meeting,” Elder Michael said as they stood up and left as well.

“When’s the meeting?” I asked Lucas.

“So you can run away again before the time?” he asked me and I smiled slightly.

“No, so I can make my own arrangements to mourn Felix. He was my friend, a brother in arms,” I said to him.

“The meeting will be tomorrow night,” he said to me.

“Can someone take me into town?” I asked him.

“What do you need?” he asked me.

“A car,” I said to him and he stood up.

“I’ll take you,” he said.

“I’ll wait for Chase to come back, I don’t want to bother you,” I said to him.

“Ryder, you’re not a bother, just stop this bullshit attitude of yours. I’m not your enemy, I’m your father and I love you but you can’t be surprised that I’m upset about everything,” he said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Fine, let’s go to town,” I said to him.

We didn’t talk in the car but Lucas glanced over at me every now and then as I shifted uncomfortably to ease the pain in my leg and shoulder. I wanted to ask him about Tia but I also didn’t want to start that conversation and end up fighting with him again.

“How did you know to find Wentworth, that unit’s been a secret for as long as it’s existed,” Lucas asked me as he parked the car.

“I was introduced to him by Felix, we met at a bar, got in a fight and he took me to see Wentworth,” I said to him and prayed that he didn’t know I was lying.

He didn’t say anything after that but he went with me to the dealership and then we had a small argument as I bought my car and signed the papers.

“I can buy my own car Dad,” I said to him.

“I know you can, but I’d like to buy it, you’ve been through a lot, just let me do this,” he said as he looked at me.

“Fine, thanks,” I said and he smiled slightly.

My car would be delivered the following day and I was anxious to fully heal so I could get back into some sort of routine. Abeloth and I had talked a lot and we agreed that for now we needed to stay here, support our family and do what’s right.

“Can you drop me at that diner. I’ll call Chase to pick me up when he’s finished with his classes,” I asked Lucas.

“Don’t run,” he said as he stopped the car and I laughed as I got out.