Taming Her Beastly Mate
Chapter 57

Raine was walking back to her room with Ryker after dinner. It was nice to be able to have the whole family together. And would have been better if she wasn’t distracted. Ryker had been a bit different since his last headache. She could see a distant look in his eyes and the tension he was carrying. When they got to their room, she watched him walk to the other side of the room. He leaned his arm on the wall facing away from her.

She knew there was something bothering him. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She felt him lean his back into her, taking a deep breath. “Ryker.” She whispered into his back. She leaned her forehead on his back as she held him gently. She felt him grab her hand and pulled her in front of him. He looked down at her and pulled her close. Wedging her between the wall and him. For a brief moment, she caught how his iris flickered with color. The look on his face was a mixture of pain and sorrow.

Ryker leaned his head down and brushed his lips over the top of her head. He held her tightly and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Raine, I started getting these images in my head. I think it is scrambled visions of my memories.” His fingers trembled as he clung to her slinking into her more. “I—I don’t think—” A quiet sob escaped his throat as his body shook. “I don’t think I was a good guy.” He barely squeaked out as his tears began to fall freely.

“Shhh.” Raine crooned to him as she rubbed her slim hands over his muscular back. “Ryker that isn’t you anymore. This is you.”

“What if I end up remembering everything and change?” Ryker whispered out in a raspy voice. A chill ran down his spine as a cold sweat broke out across his skin. The feelings he got when he saw those images… “I’m scared.”

Raine’s heart hurt as she heard the pain in his voice. “I will keep you grounded Ryker. You’ll never lose this part of yourself because I’ll protect you.”

Ryker swallowed thickly and pulled back from her to gaze into her eyes. She looked up at him confidently despite the worry in her eyes. Her trust in him was evident in her words as well as her actions. He put his hands on either side of her face and leaned forward to k**s her. The k**s was gentle, soft, and undemanding. “What if I start to be that person again? What if I forget the me now?”

Raine turned her face up to stare at him. “You won’t. You just lost your memories. This is who you are now.”

“I don’t know.” Ryker closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. “What if—What if I hurt you?”

“You would never hurt me.” Raine’s eyes filled with tears. “I know this. I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

“You can’t know that.” Ryker’s breath hitched in his throat. “I can’t let you get hurt Raine.”

“I am stronger than you think Ryker.” Raine sniffled as she began to cry for her mate. She ran her fingers through his hair giving his locks a slight tug forcing his eyes to look at hers. “You won’t hurt me. Do you think I am afraid?” She shook her head as her eyes glistened with tears. “I don’t care who you used to be. I care about who you are today.” She sniffed and smiled. “Besides, I am strong enough to subdue you. Maybe even knock you back to your senses if needs be.”

Ryker chuckled and leaned his forehead against hers. They stared into each other’s eyes as he raised his hands to wipe the tears from hers. “I do like it when you play rough.”

Raine laughed and pulled back to look at him. He had a faint smile on his lips. She knew it wasn’t great, but they would work through this. She leaned forward and touched his lips with hers. It was a whisper of a k**s, but it was enough to make something break free inside him. She felt a smile spread over his lips as he pulled her to him. He kissed her back, fiercely. She m****d lightly when his tongue slipped into her mouth. The tip of his tongue flicked over hers as he kissed her. She smirked against his lips when she felt his arousal stirring against her. “There is my feisty mate.” She whispered against his lips.

“I love you, Raine.” He whispered against her mouth before kissing her again. He loved the way she called him feisty. He loved the way her body responded to his touch. He loved the way she always protected him. She was the light that guided him through the darkness. She was the strength that held him together. She was the love that bound him tightly to her. She was his Raine.

He broke from her lips to trail k****s down her neck and over her collarbone. His hand skimmed down her body to slip under her shirt. Her hands went to his shoulders as she arched her back. He felt her m**n into his ear as he fondled her breast. He pulled back to look at her and smiled at the l**t filled look in her eyes. A look that drove him mad.

He turned them so he was leaning against the wall. Raine grinned against his mouth as she raised her arms over her head and grabbed his shoulders. She slid her legs around his waist and wiggled slightly. His e******n rubbed against her, making her gasp and shudder. He grabbed her thigh, arching it so he could rub against her. He rocked his h**s into her, growling into her lips. “We’ve got to get these clothes off. I need you now.”

Raine bit his bottom l*p and smiled coyishly. “Burn them off.” She purred against his lips. Sure, she liked the clothes she was wearing, but she couldn’t wait to feel him against her.

“Oh?” Ryker raised an eyebrow at her. He felt her nod against his lips. “You want me to burn these to ashes?” He growled as he pulled away from her for a moment. He looked at her and smiled when he saw the desire burning in her eyes. “How badly do you want them off?”

“As badly as you do,” Raine answered back as she nibbled her bottom l*p. Her eyes played over every inch of his face. He was so beautiful to her. He was everything she ever wanted and everything she would ever need. He was her mate, her love.

Ryker smirked and gripped her thighs tightly. He radiated just enough heat from his body to char the clothes, they fell to the ground in an ashy pile. Neither one of them stopped from the maddening k**s.

“That’s better.” Ryker grinned against her mouth.

A knock at the door caused Ryker to growl, he pulled away and placed his forehead against hers. He watched her face as her eyes fluttered open. Her breathing was as ragged as his.

“Raine, Alexis is getting ready to leave if you want to say goodbye.” A gruff voice called through the door.

Raine sat up and looked at Ryker, her eyes were unclouding as the l**t cloud was lifting. “Okay. I’m coming.” Raine answered in a weak voice. Luckily, it wasn’t her father. She recognized the voice as one of the guards.

Ryker huffed a laugh and almost whimpered as he lowered her back to the ground. “We aren’t finished here.”

“I hope not. Because I have new tricks to try out on you.” She nibbled on her bottom l*p smiling as she heard him growl. “Wait for me here. I’ll throw something on and quickly say goodbye.”

Ryker watched as she ran over to the dresser. She threw on a baggy shirt, underwear, and shorts. Then she quickly tidied her hair and slipped on shoes. She turned and winked at him.

“Keep the bed warm for me.”

Ryker chuckled as she shut the door. Raine had a way of making everything better. He felt completely at ease again as he made his way to the bed. That was until the headache attacked again. Images began flashing through his mind.

~Memory~

“Is that all you have?”

“Yes, that is all I have learned,” Ryker said to the man in the shadows. He couldn’t see his face, but saw a dark figure hidden under a cloak. The man disappeared and he turned around to leave.

“You there!” A man shouted. “So you have been leaking information!”

Ryker clicked his tongue and sneered at the man who approached him. Both men shifted and took to the skies. Two dragons ferociously attacked the other. Each man going for the kill. The dragon shredded Ryker with many deep lacerations. Ryker finally managed to sink his teeth into the other dragon’s neck landing a fatal blow. Before that dragon fell it whipped its tail into Ryker sending him spiraling to the ground. Ryker was badly wounded and had lost a lot of b***d. Right before impact, he shifted to his human self… as everything went dark.

~End Flash back~

Ryker leaned against the bed to steady himself. His chest heaved up and down from the vision. His hands trembled as he dug his fingers into the comforter. Beads of a cold sweat broke out of his body as he tried to stable himself.

“Da.mn it… who was I?”