Tasting 259
Tasting
259âLike A Shield In Front Of Me
Nora:
Nobody believed their ears the first time. Even I was stunned, hoping it to be just a fault of my ears.
I wouldnât ever want Ryker to come out and lie about it and get himself in trouble.
âI killed Mia,â Ryker said again. This time, he mentioned her name and even shrugged. My
heartbeat kept fluctuating wildly, and my head was getting dizzy
I knew Ryker was lying, but why? Didnât he hate me now? Wasnât he dating April? Why would he
take the blame on himself for me then? What was I to him anymore?
âThatâs a good try, son. But we all know sheâs the culprit. You brothers are just doing this because
you feel obligated to take her responsibility and keep her safe. Let me tell you something, you donât
need to do any of that. Sheâs a monsterâs daughter. Sheâs not your family,â Yuki explained loudly,
shaking his head in disbelief at Ryker lying so blatantly.
âIâm not lying. Whether you believe it or not, Iâm standing here, admitting that I am the monster who
killed Mia,â he said again. This time, Silas, who had helped his father regain consciousness, got up
from the ground and watched his brotherâs face intently.
âBrother!â Silas called out to him, shaking his head.
âItâs true, Silas. I did it. And if they donât believe me, I can show them my truth in case they forgot.â
Ryker stepped back and began taking off
his shirt.
âNo! Ryker! Stop!â his father yelled, making me tremble in my skin and gulp in shock. Was he really
going for it?
I had heard the brothers had transitioned before the council and hardly ever before all the members
of the packs because their wolves were indeed different.
But why was everyone watching Ryker with such shock? Had they not seen his wolf before?
âItâs all on your shoulders now. If I hurt someone, itâs on you because you didnât believe me when I
said-â Ryker went silent and then spoke while keeping his eyes down.
He took a brief pause, and when he lifted his head again, I heard everyone gasp. âI am the
monster.â
With that, his skin started to turn black and scaly. His bones cracked, and his body dropped to the
ground.
He began to wail and grunt while his body underwent a terrifying transformation. Watching him
endure so much pain, combined with the stress I had faced just hours ago, overwhelmed me.
My eyes watered, and with trembling hands, I reached for Rykerâs back. The instant my hand made
contact with his skin, his groaning quieted.
For a moment, everything calmed down. His pain seemed to subside.
It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like hours. Everything went back to chaos as I felt a strong
grasp around my waist and my body being pulled away from Ryker.
It was Silas, trying to ensure I didnât get too close to Ryker, who was now all black and scaly. His
body resembled neither a lycan nor a werewolf.
He was in visible pain, and the way everyone looked at him only intensified his suffering.
He was some different kind of being. But others yelled the word âmonsterâ at him. As he swung his
massive limbs around, screams filled the air.
âNora! Go back home,â Silas urged me, his hands gently holding my arms and making sure I was
safe.
âNo!â I shook my head as tears streamed down my face.
âPlease! You need to go so that I can focus on my brother,â the worry in Silasâ voice broke my
heart.
âGo help him,â I insisted, but I wasnât planning on leaving, even as my body shivered and I broke
into a cold sweat.
âNot while youâre here. Please, free me and go back to the car. If youâre not safe, none of us will feel
safe,â Silas cupped my face as he delivered the words to me with much affection.
I was able to look into his eyes and realized he still caredâthey still cared. Then why were they
acting so cold toward me?
âTake her to the car and make sure she stays protected,â Silas told one of the guards, handing me
over to him like I was some doll this time.