MATED TO FATHER, FATED TO SONS-Chapter 39: THE GAMES WE PLAY

AMARIS

Why do I know Ryker is playing games with me and I keep letting him?

I must be one of those foolish naive girls I read about in novels and detest how they can’t think or see what is obviously right in front of them.

I looked at Ryker and tried to find the words that would make him understand I couldn’t do this, not here, not tonight. "I don’t want to play your games, not today of all days."

His hand moved from where it had been gripping my arm, trailing up slowly until his fingers wrapped around my neck, not squeezing, just resting there with enough pressure that I could feel my pulse beating against his palm.

Then his hand slid lower, fingertips tracing the curve of my collarbone before moving down to my chest where they stopped just above the neckline of my dress.

"Wow," he murmured, his voice dropping to that low rasp that made my stomach clench. "But can’t you see sweetheart, you are already playing my games."

He pulled me closer until there was no space left between us, my body pressed against his from chest to thigh, and he didn’t stop until our lips were a breath apart, so close I could taste the mint on his breath.

"Do you know what I think?" Ryker’s mouth curved into a wicked smile.

"You love these games. The games we play. It turns you on." His hand on my chest moved lower, fingers splaying across my ribcage.

"I bet your legs are already getting so wet, begging to have my head buried in that sweet spot of yours again."

I squirmed because he was right, because I could already feel the heat pooling between my thighs, could feel my body betraying every logical thought in my head. It was pathetic.

"Let go of me," I managed to choke out.

"Don’t try to deny it," Ryker countered, his thumb brushing across the swell of my breast through the fabric. "But you should know that I also want to bury my head down there." He paused, his eyes locking onto mine. "Tell me Amaris, have you ever cum?"

I blinked at him. "Cum?"

"Yes, cum," he repeated, his hand sliding further down my side.

"I thought," my voice came out embarrassingly quiet, "I thought it was only guys who do that."

His smile widened into an amusement that looked almost fond and he leaned in until his mouth was against my ear. "I meant like an orgasm."

Heat flooded my face and I knew I was flustered pink. "Ohhh."

Ryker’s hand trailed down over the curve of my hip, his fingers bunching the fabric of my dress. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"If you weren’t in this beautiful dress, which by the way makes you look like a goddess," he pulled back just enough to let his eyes rake over me, "I would have my hands inside you right now."

His fingers pressed into the soft flesh of my thigh through the layers of fabric. "And I wouldn’t stop until you had an orgasm and were begging me to fuck you."

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "Ryker, you can’t be saying things like this." My voice shook. "This is my engagement. To your father."

He looked at me and the darkness in his eyes was absolute. "Since when do you think I care?"

His hand moved back up, fingers finding the edge of my neckline and slipping just beneath it to touch bare skin. I gasped and he took advantage, his other hand grabbing my waist and spinning me until my back was against the balcony railing.

"In fact," Ryker continued, his mouth moving to my neck where he kissed and bit the sensitive skin there, "I want to steal you away right now to my room."

His hand on my chest pushed the fabric aside and his palm covered my breast, thumb brushing over my nipple through the thin material of whatever undergarment Nia had forced me into.

"I don’t even care about the dress. I want to go under it with my tongue." He squeezed gently and I bit my lip to keep from making a sound. "I want to lick that sweet juice from your body until you can’t remember your own name."

His other hand slid down, gathering the layers of my gown skirt and pulling them up inch by torturous inch. The night air hit my bare legs and I realized immediately that we were still on the balcony, still technically at my engagement party, still in a place where anyone could walk out and see us.

"Ryker," I breathed but I didn’t know if I was protesting or encouraging.

His hand found the top of my thigh, fingers digging into soft flesh as he pulled my leg up to wrap around his hip.

The position opened me to him and even through the fabric I could feel the hard length of him pressing against where I was already aching.

"Tell me you don’t want this," he demanded, his mouth moving back to hover over mine. "Tell me you don’t think about it, about me touching you, about what it would feel like to have me inside you."

I opened my mouth to respond, to lie or tell the truth I wasn’t even sure which, when a voice cut through the haze.

"Amaris!"

I shoved Ryker so hard he actually stumbled back a step and I yanked my dress down with shaking hands, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. I turned to find Nia standing in the doorway staring at us with an expression that was equal parts shock and disappointment.

Ryker had that infuriating smirk on his face like getting caught was just another part of the game.

"The Alpha is looking for you," Nia announced, her voice tight.

I couldn’t look at her, couldn’t meet those judgmental eyes, so I just nodded and walked past her into the hallway. She fell into step beside me but stopped before we reached the banquet hall doors, her hand shooting out to grab my arm.

"Amaris," she hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "Whatever it is you are doing with Ryker, you need to stop it."

"There is nothing going on," I lied automatically.

"That isn’t what it looks like," Nia shot back. "Imagine if it was Alpha Corvin who walked in on you two instead of me."

The image made ice drop into my stomach because I knew exactly what would happen if Corvin caught us. I had seen what he did to me for talking back, what he would do for actual betrayal didn’t bear thinking about.

"I know," I whispered.

Nia’s expression softened slightly but her grip on my arm tightened. "Amaris, I know you don’t know who Alpha Corvin really is but he is not a man you mess with. He will destroy you."

The words felt real coming from her like she had witness it and it wasn’t some metaphorical statement and I wanted to tell her I already knew, that I had seen glimpses of the monster everyone said he was, that I was terrified of what would happen when he found out about the mate bond or Ryker’s hands on me or any of the thousand ways I was failing at being the perfect obedient breeder he wanted.

But I didn’t say any of that.

I just pulled my arm free and walked through the doors back into the banquet hall where the music was still playing and people were still drinking and everything looked exactly the same as when I had left even though I felt like a completely different person.

Eyes turned toward me immediately and I felt their stares falling in me once again, felt them judging every detail of my appearance looking for signs of whatever scandal they could gossip about later.

I kept my chin up and my shoulders back and walked through the crowd like I belonged there.

Alpha Corvin appeared at my side, his hand reaching out for mine. "Where have you been?" He didn’t sound angry exactly, more irritated like I was a child who had wandered off at the supermarket. "I told you not to wander off."

"I am sorry," I responded, letting him take my hand because refusing would cause a scene. "I needed some air."

He looked at me for a long moment, his dark eyes searching my face for something I desperately hoped he wouldn’t find. "Okay," he finally conceded. "It’s time to introduce you as my Luna."

This was it, the moment where I became official, where whatever small freedom I had left disappeared completely. I wanted to run, I wanted to scream, I wanted to do anything except stand there and smile while he claimed me in front of the entire pack.

But I didn’t have a choice.

I never had a choice.

I squeezed his hand back and let him lead me toward the center of the room where a small platform had been set up, where everyone was already gathering to watch, where my life as I knew it was about to end.