Witch Doctor

CHAPTER 23 | once bitten

📎A/N. Well we are heading into the final few chapters of Witch Doctor... and the pressure is on to stop Leviathan from stepping through the door... Will they work out how in time??

This chapter is another longish one, so you'd probably better get comfy. We also get a chance to see into Ryker's past. I must caution you, it's not pretty. Don't say you weren't warned ;)

Take care, and thank you all so very much for your continued support...

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The scent of cinnamon wafted into the last thread of sleep and Keira pulled the covers closer. Her eyelids were heavy, and she couldn't gather the strength to open them. It couldn't possibly be time to wake up. She had just fallen asleep.

The sound of rain punctured her foggy brain, and she rolled over with a loud groan at the effort. From under the sheets, she reached for her phone.

6:15.

Why did she feel so tired?

The dull cloud lifted, and Keira shot up into a sitting position in record time. The reality of their current predicament, as well as where she was, smashed across her in waves.

6:15? Damn. I was only supposed to nap for one hour, not three.

Keira rubbed her eyes, then glanced over towards the bedside table. A cup of green tea sent tendrils of steam into the air.

At least that explains the cinnamon.

She regarded the vacant spot beside her and groaned inwardly. Keira still couldn't believe she gave in and ended up in his bed.

There were many things she should have done. She should have marched straight upstairs; she should have told Ryker he was a little presumptuous; she should have done any of the thousand things that ran through her mind. Instead, she followed him, thankful that for once, she didn't need to make a decision.

At least she had the satisfaction of shocking him, if his expression was anything to go by. He was expecting an argument, not for her to give in so easily.

Keira also didn't think she was up to discussing her mother's message in detail — something she would be forced to do with Dayna, or at least that's how she justified it to herself. If she was honest, it was for the simple need to feel safe. How she felt safe with a vampire was a strange experience in itself. While vampires were nothing like the creatures depicted in urban myth, they were without a doubt, dangerous.

Keira pushed her hair off her face and reached for the tea. She took a sip of the hot beverage and glanced to her right. What she had thought rain, was, in fact, the shower running in the adjoining bathroom.

I wonder if the shower is big enough for two?

The thought was out before she could stop it. Her mind was heading into very murky territory, and she willed it to reverse just as quickly as it had arrived.

Keira had been very careful with the men she had allowed into her bed over the years. She wanted no emotional attachment. If there was any chance her heart might get involved, she cut off all ties. The only way to protect herself was to keep an emotional distance. This time, if she allowed anything to happen between her and Ryker, she wasn't going to walk away unscathed.

How did I allow myself to get into this mess?

The man was far too tempting to ignore, and if they got out of this alive, there was no doubt she'd allow him to find her runes. Keira knew full well she was just another conquest for Ryker. She had no illusions about him. However, at least she could nurse her wounds back in LA, well away from Salem, Essex County, and its very sexy sheriff. At the idea of not seeing him again, an uncomfortable twinge pricked at her, and she attempted to ignore the implications.