Chapter 27: Chapter 27

A couple tears slipped down her cheeks. He was avoiding the issue. She just knew he was. They would never talk about last night. Alecia rubbed the diamonds of the ring. What would she do, if he recreationally used drugs? She couldn’t leave him because that would break her heart into pieces, but last night couldn’t happen again. He needed to understand how she felt.

Ryder headed straight to Richard's library. He knocked on the door and opened it when he heard Richard call out his name.

Richard sat on a light-brown leather chair with his feet on an ottoman, reading the USA Today. A Cuban cigar burned in an ashtray – the smoke rose to the ceiling in a smooth stream.

“I can’t believe people read this garbage,” he said. “’President’s federal car tax will hurt the small man.’”

Ryder sat across from Richard. “Do you like her?”

Richard closed the paper - his dark-blue eyes focusing on him as a slight smile slipped on his face. “We both like her.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Richard looked back at the paper, shaking his head. “That’s your father’s business not mine. I don’t care who you choose as your mate.”

Ryder pointed to his chest. “I have given him everything. My whole life. Why is he doing this?”

“He has a lot invested in you.”

“She loves me.”

“She’s a smart girl, although her grades wouldn’t show it.”

“What?” Ryder's fingers dug into the side of the armrest. How much did they know about her and her family? But wouldn’t their so-called research show how submissive she was - how he could make her bend to his will with the simplest words?

“Ah, you didn’t know she failed all but one class.” Richard smirked.

“You two have been spying on her.”

“We know more about her and her family than you do,” Richard said.

Ryder took a deep breath and leaned back in the couch. They probably did. Right down to the fact that she liked to paint her toenails pink and wear flowered cotton panties.

“She has no skeletons; neither does her family; I swear I’ve never seen such religious people,” Richard said.

“That’s your base.”

Richard nodded, set the paper aside and folded his hands in his lap. “Do you think she’ll fit into our plans for you?”

Ryder looked to the side. How could she not? She was his moon that kept him calm – provided some relief from the pressure of his life. He would have no mistress as long as Alecia was his wife? He looked back at Richard. “Better than Taylor. Taylor would end up in a tabloid.”

Richard chuckled. “She would. Your father was never going to let you choose her.”

“I can trust her, too,” Ryder said.

“She barely even knows you. Maybe that’s the problem.”

“I’m sure my mother knew my father real well before they married. They, what, dated a month?”

Richard shook his head again as he picked up the paper, and opened it, burying his face behind it.

“She just needs to be trustworthy.” Richard lowered the paper. “Or made that way.”

Ryder nodded. He would have to prove that they could trust her – the girl who wouldn’t even do one thing wrong unless he wanted her to. He stood from the couch and slowly rocked back on his heels. How could he make them see her as trustworthy? He stopped rocking, looked straight at Richard and said, “she’ll be trustworthy. I’ll find a way to prove it.”

He then walked out of the room, back to Alecia. He opened their bedroom door. Alecia had buried herself under the covers. He took the top of the sheet and pulled it down until he saw her eyes staring back at him. What a beautiful pair of eyes. They still contained a touch of innocence even though he taught her to do things, no Godly girl would even think about.

He pulled down the cover further, revealing her succulent red lips. Her lipstick had

smeared slightly to the side, like it usually did when he was very passionate with her.

“Do you want to talk now?” she asked.

He smiled and sat next to her on the bed. “Shoot, Alecia.” “You know I’m not going to judge you.” He tilted his head to the side.

“You two were on something last night,” she said.

“We were drunk.”

She sat up from the bed. “I’m not stupid, Ryder. I know you were on something. Now what were you on?” Her blue eyes flashed sparks.

Ryder crumbled the sheets in his hand – the heat rising in him. “How do you know? Huh? Have you seen someone on Charlie, crank? No, I bet you haven’t. Your images come from movies, and besides, there are sometimes you don't know . . . We werewolves have rituals no human can ever understand."

Her eyes widened and she shrank back into the bed, her face losing its color. “I’m sorry, Ryder”

He had been too harsh. He turned from her. “Do me a favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Tell people Sheila is a wonderful person.”

She rolled over on her side and looked at the wall. “There you go, thinking I’m stupid again.” She paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Of course, I would never say something. I know it could hurt Richard's image and I like him.”

Ryder caressed her hip, trying to smooth out some of the tension in her. “I don’t think you’re stupid.”

“But you don’t trust me.”

“I trust you, but Alecia, I was only drunk. You need to learn to trust me.” Ryder lay down next to her and rolled her over so she faced him. “I love you.” He kissed her nose.

She gave him a faint smile and then buried her head into his chest. She probably didn’t believe him, but she had learned never to approach the subject again. That was a good sign.

Maybe he should tell his father. Show a little anger and the girl’s strength crumbled.