Four days had passed since the accident. Ryker sat alone in his secluded hideout, the silence broken only by the soft rustle of leaves outside. His body was fully healed, thanks to his accelerated regeneration, but the questions still lingered.

He leaned against the rough wooden wall, staring at his hands. There wasn’t a single mark left from the crash, no physical evidence of the agony he’d endured. Yet the memory of the pain—the crunch of bones, the searing impact—clung to him. By all rights, he should be dead.

And for what?

The wolf stirred inside him, restless. It had been unusually quiet the past few days, simmering beneath the surface like a storm waiting to break. Ryker pressed his palm to his chest, feeling the faint, persistent pull of the wolf’s instincts.

The girl.

The human. He didn’t know her name, had never seen her face properly. She was just a fleeting image in his mind, a figure crumpled on the road, and the reason he’d thrown himself in harm’s way.

“You made me do it,” Ryker muttered, his voice low and bitter. He wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or the wolf.

The wolf didn’t respond in words, but he could feel its intent, its need. Protect.

“I don’t even know her,” Ryker snapped. “We don’t owe her anything.”

The wolf disagreed.

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Four days of this argument, and Ryker was no closer to understanding. The wolf’s instincts didn’t make sense—not this time. Wolves didn’t protect humans. They didn’t act without reason. And yet, something about her...

He sighed and stood, pacing the cramped space of his cabin. He couldn’t stay here forever. The wolf wouldn’t let him. Every passing hour made the pull stronger, the need to go, to find.

“Fine,” Ryker said aloud, his voice sharp. “I’ll go. But I’m not getting involved.”

The wolf’s presence shifted, almost smug, as if it had won.

Ryker shifted effortlessly into his wolf form, his body responding to the change with practiced ease. The woods welcomed him, the cool night air filling his lungs as he darted between the trees. He wasn’t sure where he was going—he only followed the pull, the instinct buried deep within him.

But before he could get far, the air grew heavy.

Ryker skidded to a halt, his fur bristling as the oppressive weight settled over him. He crouched low, growling, his eyes scanning the shadows for the source.

Then it appeared.

The figure stepped from the darkness with an unnatural grace, its presence like a void that swallowed all light and sound. Ryker felt his wolf recoil, instincts screaming danger.

“Who are you?” Ryker demanded, his voice a growl even as his body shifted back to human form.

The figure didn’t answer immediately. It stood there, observing him with an unnerving stillness. When it finally spoke, its voice was deep and resonant, carrying a weight that made Ryker’s chest tighten.

“You think you saved her,” it said, each word measured.

Ryker’s jaw tightened. “What are you talking about?”

The figure tilted its head, its gaze piercing. “Four days ago. You interfered. You thought you stopped death.”

Ryker took a step back, his muscles tensed. “I didn’t ‘interfere.’ I saved her life.”

The figure’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Did you?”

Something about its tone made Ryker’s stomach twist.

“You didn’t save her,” the figure continued. “You changed her. And you don’t even know it.”

Ryker frowned, his confusion deepening. “Changed her how?”

The figure didn’t answer directly. Instead, it stepped closer, its presence suffocating. “You’ve set something in motion, wolf. Something you cannot control.”

Ryker bristled, anger and unease warring within him. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

The figure’s smile widened, but it didn’t respond. It simply faded into the shadows, its final words hanging in the air like a curse.

“You were never meant to be a part of this. And yet, here you are.”

The weight of its presence lifted, and Ryker found himself alone in the clearing. But the tension didn’t leave him.

The wolf inside him grew more uneasy, pacing within him like a caged animal. Its instincts screamed louder now, the pull to protect stronger than ever. Ryker clenched his fists, breathing hard.

For the first time, he wondered why everyone seemed so intent on letting the girl die. And, for the first time, he agreed with the wolf inside him.

Nothing happens to her.