stance. Every sound, magnified; every flicker of movement a potential threat. My legs were on fire

relieved or disturbed by the silence. I tried to go through my thoughts, but the sequence of events that led me to this moment

hat would unravel me. "Who are y

yes narrowed. "You're not to ask que

lp," I said curtly. "If you're going to drag me through

My name's Ryker," he said after a long pause. "Now

ordeal. Part of me just knew not to trust him, but for now, he w

ike angry hornets: Why had he rushed to my rescue? What did he want? And why 

left, out of the underbrush, came a faint rustle. He was fast; he pulled me behind

smelling me. My heart pounded, a drumbeat of terror in my chest. "I won't let

r. He turned around, his eye roving dangerously close to our hiding spo

ht faint traces of my scent. My muscles tensed tight as every instinct begged me to run, and yet I was frozen where I stood by Ryker's steely hold. He lean

Spread out!" He spoke with authority, underlined with irritation. The o

, caught my own. He sniffed again, towards where we were hiding. My pulse quickened so loudly I could swear

said, so low it was nearly a whisper. Before I could say anything,

trol turned, surprised, but there was no time to retaliate. Ryker barreled into the nearest one,

eliberate, almost surgical. He fought like a wolf that had nothing to risk, and it was terrible t

n a place of fear and awe. Who is this rog

their growls reverberating in the woodlands. Ryker's amber gaze burnt with a ferocity that made the wolf

oo shocking to a somewhat simple pack to fully wipe out

xchanged glances as his chest slowly rose and fell, wat

nse as he inched closer. As he returned to human, meltin

ee the pale scars that slithered across his face, the hard line of his features

stuttered, but

hadn't been there with you, they would'v

mix of anger and embarrassmen

didn't have to. You're alive thanks to me,

y hands in tight fists at my sides. "I'm sorry," I sai

read. Then he sighed and raked his dark hai

ught of patrol wolves. With a hesitant nod,

over the dirt. Guided by the beat of the wood, Ryker trod lightly, even through

" I finally asked, b

here," Ryker said without turni

g the edges of my thoughts.

ve to trust me," he said evenly. "But unless you

ved an exasperated huff, trailing behin

clearing between two shredded cliffs. They stumbled on a shallow cave,

eary glow across the walls. Ryker moved to the back, digging out a trov

ket and some food at me. "Eat.

g a close eye on him. "Why are you d

t, I thought I saw a flicker of something softer regr

sons," he said cryptically. You're

, and it sent a pulse through

th his back to us, straight-backed. "Go get so

rden of fatigue. I pulled the blanket to me and leaned on

ep, one thought echoed in my head: Who t