Her hand gave him a firmer squeeze in response. "You killed them, didn't you?"
"A few," he admitted with a chuckle, his free hand now teasing the line of her waistband. "Some were too arrogant for their own good. Others were just loud."
Reana tilted her head back against his shoulder and he leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her parted lips. Her breath was uneven and her face was flushed. "So you left."
"To the Southern Islands," Ryder murmured, nipping her earlobe. "Didn't come back until now."
"And the Islands didn't bore you?" Her voice cracked a little as his hand moved lower, his fingers pressing just right through the barrier of her clothing.
He didn't answer right away. Just slid his hand up under her shirt, palm splayed over her bare stomach, fingers dipping teasingly lower again. "At some point, it did. But they weren't annoying like the Alphas."
