Ivan flailed his arms wildly, knocking wolves away and sending them tumbling through the dead leaves. Ryder did a double take as she pulled her bow, Ivar’s show of strength a complete surprise. She had never thought of him as being strong but she had clearly underestimated him. Ivan might make it through this, after all.
Ryder loosed her arrow, hitting one of the wolves. It yipped in pain and made a break for the tree line with Ryder’s arrow hanging out of its ass. As if they sensed the tide was turning against them the other wolves retreated, intelligent enough to know when they were outmatched but hungry enough to stay there at the edge of the trees, watching them.
Ryder fired a few more arrows in their direction, shouting as she ran toward Ivan. “Stay the hell away from him!” She didn’t give two shits about Ivan, but he was still a human being and didn’t deserve to be ripped to pieces by wolves
Terrier appeared by her side with his axes at the ready. His massive frame cast a looming shadow that looked like a bear on its hind legs as he emerged into the clearing. The wolves backed into the trees, giving up. Ryder doubted they would be back anytime soon.
Ivan still lay on the ground, facing away from Ryder and Terrier. She couldn’t tell what kind of state he was in.
Ryder leaned in a touch, concerned. “Ivan, are you injured?” she asked, reaching out.
She snatched her hand back as Ivan turned over, his eyes glowing red.
“What the fuck?” Terrier spat.
He and Ryder jumped back out of Ivan’s reach and glanced at one another. She didn’t know what was wrong with Ivan, but she knew it wasn’t good. Glowing red eyes—or any color really—never signaled that something pleasant was about to happen.
Ivan scrambled to his feet and rushed at Ryder, the speed at which he moved surprising her as he grabbed her throat and tried to pull her toward his gaping, bloody maw.
Ryder froze for a second, her mind refusing to process that Ivan was trying to take a bite out of her. Terrier reacted before Ryder came to her senses. He swung his axe and severed one of Ivan’s hands clean off the wrist. Terrier then picked the man up bodily, tearing his other hand off Ryder’s throat, and threw him across the clearing. He struck a tree with a thump, and slid limply to the ground like a ragdoll.
The hand continued to cling to Ryder’s neck for a second. She smacked at it, knocking it away and she and Terrier both stared as it continued to twitch weakly for a moment.
“What the hell happened to him? And where is everyone else?” Ryder looked around them, but she didn’t see anyone else from their hunting group. They had gone off in a different direction before Ryder and Terrier heard the sounds of Ivan’s screams. It was rare to be away from the group like this.
This is our chance, she thought. “Terrier, we can leave all this behind us right now.”
“What? No.” He paused. “You go, Ryder. Get away from here while you can.”
Terrier’s words slid over Ryder, her brain refusing to accept what her dearest friend was saying. “Terrier, no! What are you talking about? We can both get away. Together. But we need to go – like, now!” Ryder heard voices in the distance, and she knew the others would be here soon.
Terrier’s face was set. “I’m serious, Ryder. It might be your only chance. I’ll lead them in the other direction, give you time to get away.”
“I can’t just leave you!”
He gathered her into a crushing hug. “Ryder, I’m not fast enough. If I went with you, they’d hunt us down in no time. Then we’d both be dead.” In the twenty years Ryder had known Terrier, he’d only ever thought about her, even now.
“What about you? They’ll kill you when they find out you’re lying.”
“Then they’d better not find out, right?” Terrier smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Go, Ryder. I’ll survive, it’s what we do.”
The rest of the hunters’ voices got louder—they were almost there. When Terrier turned his head toward the voices, she could see the cross tattoo on his neck, which was the same as hers. As Afana’s possessions, they had been branded like cattle.
“Go!” he urged again.
She made her choice. There was no more time to argue, it was now or never.
She wrapped her arms around Terrier one last time, squeezing with everything she had. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Ryder couldn’t bring herself to look back at Terrier as she made her way into the forest. She wouldn’t have been able to see him anyway. Tears filled her eyes, making her vision blurry. She was leaving the only person she’d ever trusted.
Ryder would come back for Terrier, but first she had to survive. Then she would find help and rescue not only Terrier, but everyone she cared about from Afana’s hellhole.
Chapter Two
Ryder’s heart pounded with every frantic step she took. Could she really escape from the bunker and get help for the others? Or was it just an impossible, desperate dream?
She’d find out soon enough.
The adrenaline pounded in her ears as sprinted flat-out, but dreaming aside, her situation was infinitely thornier than that. Once news got back to the bunker that she’d betrayed them and fled, Afana would send his hunters after her.
Every hunter would be competing to bring her head back, desperate to trade it for some extra rations and a night of dirty sex. That was how much her life was worth now.
But only if they caught her.
Ryder’s spine burned as her vertebrae ground together, a hot knife tore into her side each time she drew a ragged breath, but the pain meant she was still alive. She ran, pushing through it and let the sweet taste of freedom guide her.
“He’s over there!” Ryder heard the shout behind her. She risked a glance
