Chapter 39
Xena’s POV
We stood at the top of the hill, overlooking the city we’d just left behind. The view took my breath away, and I knew it would only be more beautiful at night.
“What do you think?” Ryder came to stand behind me. I only had to lean back slightly to feel his chest against my back. My heart immediately picked up speed, a strange sense of security enveloping me.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite my heart hammering in my chest. “This view is unbelievable. How did you find this place?”
“My family has owned this land for generations. We haven’t used it in a while, though, and don’t have any particular need for it. We’ve been considering building some sort of venue here to generate some income. But we haven’t checked on the land in years. My father asked me to see if it was feasible, take some soil samples to check for
contamination.”
“Just how much land do you own?” I asked curiously, privately marveling at his family’s
wealth.
Ryder wrapped his arm loosely around my waist, turning me to face him. His touch sent a small shiver across my skin, and I forced myself to focus on his words rather than the warmth of his palm.
“About fifteen feet from the bottom and stretching for a few miles in each direction.”
“How many miles is a few?” I pressed, trying to grasp the scale of it.
“I think we have about five hundred acres.”
“Jesus.” I took Ryder’s outstretched hand, and we began to walk together. Holding his hand felt both terrifying and comforting at the same time.
“There’s a forest over there, and if I remember correctly, there’s a waterfall,” he said.
“Really?” We walked hand in hand into the forest until the path narrowed. I followed behind Ryder as we walked about a mile down the trail until I could hear the sound of
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water.
“Do you hear that?” Ryder asked.
“Yeah.” The breeze blew against my face, feeling comfortable, and I wasn’t even sweating. We walked another hundred yards, and the forest opened up to reveal a gorgeous waterfall flowing into a stream below.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” I said breathlessly, captivated by the sight before me.
“Just like I remembered.” Ryder walked over to a rock by the water and sat down. I followed and sat next to him, still with a bit of space between us, but close enough.
“When was the last time you were here?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s been years. I think I was in elementary school.”
“That long? Why?”
“As we got older, we didn’t have much reason to come out here.”
“Ah. If I owned this place, I’d come every day. Actually, I’d build my own little cabin right here!” I laughed, imagining what it would be like to live in such a beautiful place.
“Well,” Ryder smiled, “it’s not a beach or the tropics, but you’re welcome to visit anytime.” He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward him. My heart raced. I leaned my head against his shoulder, and we sat like that for a while. Until my curiosity got the
better of me.
“Ryder?”
“Hmm?”
I shifted back so I could face him, and he turned with a look of concern. I gathered my
courage to ask the question that had been swirling in my mind.
“William has some kind of feeling about Ama.”
“Yes, he says he just knew when he saw her.”
“Ama feels the same way. Do you think we can know who our mates are through that
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feeling before we turn eighteen?”
Ryder sighed, looking out at the water. I waited nervously for his answer, my heart
pounding in my chest.
“Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“Do you have that feeling about anyone now?” I dared to ask, hoping he would say what I wanted to hear while simultaneously dreading an answer that might disappoint me.
“Are you asking if I have that feeling about you?” Ryder called me out directly.
“Yes, or anyone,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush.
“I haven’t brought anyone else out here. I brought you. As for your question, I don’t know. I don’t know exactly what William is feeling. All I know is that I can’t get you out of my head.” His hand came up to my cheek, his thumb caressing it gently. “I’ve never felt this way before, and I’ve never wanted to do these things with anyone. If this is what a mate bond feels like, I don’t know.”
I didn’t know what to say. He was telling me the truth. My heart was pounding. “What I do know is that I look forward to seeing you every day. If you end up being my mate, I’ll be the luckiest guy in the world. If not, I’m going to be very disappointed.”
“That’s only because you can’t comprehend my actual IQ,” I joked, trying to mask my true feelings.
“Do you do that a lot? Make jokes to avoid talking about your feelings?” Ryder asked. His hand dropped from my face, and I immediately missed his touch.
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