Chapter 29 Beyond the River
The forest was too quiet.
Ryker knew forests. He'd had his fair share of brawls and border wars in his early days. And now, looking at the quiet forest, he couldn't help but feel odd.
Dax lifted a hanging branch and scanned the ground again. Nothing. Not a single print. Not even a broken leaf.
“Ryker,” he called out softly, “there’s something fishy about this.”
Ryker straightened from where he had been crouching, smelling the earth. He frowned deeply.
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.
Dax nodded. “There’s no sign of any rogue attack. No wolves came through here, I can swear on that. No human footprints except Oscar’s which vanished long ago. If a wolf attacked his sister, there should be paw prints in the sand or the mud somewhere.”
Ryker exhaled sharply. “I can’t smell anything either. Not a wolf, not a human, nothing.”
Dax sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe the boy was hallucinating. He was under the desert sun for hours after all.”
Ryker gave a short huff. “Humans are always weak and fearful. Always seeing monsters even where there aren’t any.”
Dax smirked. “Says the wolf who almost punched the air when Oscar screamed.”
Ryker shot him a glare. “He startled me. Nobody screams like a dying goat unless something is wrong.”
Dax chuckled. “Fair enough.”
For a moment, they simply stood there, two wolves surrounded by a forest that felt too untouched. Nothing to suggest anyone but Oscar had passed through here in the last twenty-four hours.
Ryker finally shook his head. “We should take the boy to the nearest human town across the river. It’s safer there. We'll get him medical help and then we’ll head to the Bronx Pack. We still have time before nightfall, and Lyra’s not under attack. She can wait a little longer.”
Dax raised a brow. “Are you sure Oscar will agree to that? The kid is stubborn. He seems dead set on finding this sister.”
Ryker shrugged. “He can want anything he likes. But the fact is, we can’t find her. We’ve combed this entire forest for hours. Our wolves haven’t picked up a single human scent or wolf scent. Rogue or not, wolves always leave tracks. Always.”
Dax reluctantly nodded. “True. We head back?”
“Yeah,” Ryker said. “Let’s go.”
They turned and began retracing their steps when suddenly, they heard the first real sound in almost three hours.
It was a very loud splash.
Dax stopped dead at the sound.
Ryker’s ears perked immediately and his wolf surged to the surface, fur quickly sprouting under his skin.
“Did you hear that?” he growled.
Dax listened again and another splash echoed faintly from the distance, followed by the faint thudding of water hitting rocks.
His face paled. “Yeah. But it came from the river.”
Ryker’s eyes narrowed. “We should check it out.”
“Are you crazy?” Dax hissed. “That river is the boundary. Once we cross it, we step into vampire territory.”
Ryker shrugged coolly. “So?”
“So?” Dax stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “So the bloodsuckers will tear us apart! There are rules in Ashvale, Ryker. Rules we don’t break. The vampires stay beyond the river and the wolves stay in the desert and forest. Crossing that river is begging for a death wish.”
Ryker smirked, almost arrogantly. “I’m not afraid of the bloodsuckers. And I can stand my ground.”
Dax stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Ryker, listen to me. Vampires are already bitter as hell after the treaty. They hate wolves. They’d love an excuse to spill Alpha blood. Going in there would be suicide.”
Ryker’s expression didn’t change. If anything, he looked determined.
“I'm not a coward, Dax. And I don't play by any stupid rules. If there’s a chance I can save an innocent girl’s life,” he said, “I’ll take that chance.”
“Ryker!” Dax reached out to grab him.
But it was too late.
Ryker spun around and bolted toward the river.
“Damn it!” Dax cursed, tearing after him.
The river was roaring by the time Ryker reached it, the waters pushing violently against jagged stones that surrounded the bank.
With his wolf senses, he could clearly see in the dark and his ears picked up every sound. And then, he heard a terrified shriek.
“HELP ME! Somebody please help me!”
Ryker’s eyes widened. It sounded like a little girl.
He pushed harder, crashing through the last line of trees until he reached the riverbank.
Just beyond the rocks was a girl flailing desperately in the water. She couldn’t be older than twenty. Her hair was plastered to her face, her thin arms thrashing as she fought the current.
“Help me! Please!”
Ryker didn’t hesitate.
He leapt across the boundary, splashing into the river, the icy water soaking him to the waist as he stretched a hand toward her.
“I’ve got you!” he shouted. “Hold on!”
But the moment he crossed the middle of the river, the girl's scream stopped.
Instantly.
Ryker froze.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, searching for any injuries. But the girl’s head turned slowly toward him and the desperate terror in her eyes melted away. Now, she was laughing maniacally.
Every instinct in Ryker’s body roared in warning.
“What the—”
She suddenly grabbed his hand, stronger than any human girl should have been.
Then she smiled, showing her fangs as she whispered, “I heard Alpha blood tastes like burnt grapes.”