slipped into the concealing scrub. Ryker finally dropped me,

al of time," he said shor

being so cold, but he had just saved my life - again. Instead I skulked behind as h

ker. The night hung without end, the stars vanished behind swollen clouds. Or I had

at the fuck is going on?" I blurt

glance back at me, trepidation shining in his

y m

ck with his fingers. "Let's just say you weren't the only one who go

pped back, full-on fru

like you are doing just fine, b

not recoil. "I have a right t

voted instead and walked on, his shoul

lid apart to form a narrow cave, cloaked in the thick vine

n scratches that might have been claw marks. Ryker rummaged through a supply

a piece of meat. "If you go

ing at him suspiciousl

ely. "Just me. This way i

quiet, the silence thick with so many questions neither of us was wil

n to the pack?" I asked

nk he was going to respond. Then he turned and looked at me, h

s who think or act independently," he said bitterly. "A

there was more to the stor

hardened. "That's

began to finally kick in, and I sat pressed against the wall of the cave, wrapped in a blanket.

ker could be my best chance in this battle, but he possessed sec

h of the cave. Ryker sat close to the entrance, his profile shadowed by the dim light.

" he said, not

slowly sat up. "Barel

The plan is simple. Stay alive. Which means you liste

owe you to my life, but I'm not some pat

as it had appeared. "Is that so? Because judging from what I saw

wouldn't give up. "You

nough to stay alive for the both of us. "And if you 

it over his shoulder. "We leave in ten minutes. If you ha

h. But as much as it pained me to admit, he was right. For the moment, survival became playing along. But whatever

ould pause every now and then, his head cocked as though he could hear things that I couldn't. At one

it?" I

he trees. Then he suddenly waved to me to follow him.

and my heart beat against my ribs. Then out of the silence came a growl, low and dangero