Chapter 6

Ryker

“DÈES VAROS SÌ!”

The strange sound tore from her throat. It wasn't a language of the wolves. At least not to a regular werewolf.

My fist locked inches from Dominic’s jaw. His claws stayed hovered right over my collarbone.

Then, just as quickly as the sound from her mouth came,

the girl’s knees buckled.

Dominic and I dropped our hands at the exact same time, both of us lunging forward towards her. I was closer. I caught her before her head hit the floor, scooping her small body against my chest. In that instant, she was burning hot, her breathing steady but barely there.

“Did you hear that?” Dominic said. “That's it…” he brought his hand closer like he wanted to touch her.

“If you touch her, I swear you will not leave here in one piece.” I growled, my voice dropping to a dangerous, low rumble as I tightened my grip on her.

Before Dominic could answer, footsteps echoed.

“Ryker there’s—”

Dew stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes went from the shattered iron door to the concrete dust, then finally to the girl in my arms.

“What the… fuck… is going on…”

He held up a buzzing phone. “The coach…. Ryker… he's called five times.” His gaze shifted to Dominic briefly before coming back to meet mine.

“The team bus leaves for the arena in exactly twenty minutes.”

Just then, Dominic’s phone blew up. He dipped his hand into his pocket, answered the phone. “Yes coach. 10 minutes. Yes.”

Obviously his team was calling him too. Then he hung up, wiping dust from his knuckles.

He looked down at Evaria. A look mixed with obsession and trouble laced his face.

“This isn't over,” Dominic whispered, leaning in until he was inches from my face. “Enjoy your little lock up while it lasts, big brother. I'm coming back for her. And when I do, I’m taking what’s mine.”

I didn't respond. My concern right now was far past the attitude of a psycho.

He turned on his heel and vanished up the stairs, his wolf-speed leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

“Fucking psycho,” Dew muttered, stepping forward to look at Evaria properly. “He’s getting worse, Ryker. What did he do to her? How did this happen? I thought you both were just talking.”

“Obviously, we never just talk.”

“Oh my God. How did he know she's here? What does he want? Why did he attack her?” Dew asked, his eyes fixed on her.

“He didn't do this,” I said, staring down at her pale face. I for one didn't understand why she just fell like this and passed out. But one thing was sure: I cannot let anything happen to this girl. I spent so much for any ruin to take place.

“I can't leave her like this, Dew. She’s burning up.”

“You can't leave her like this?” He furrowed his brow. “Yeah… I mean… yes but like… it's not like you have a choice,” Dew urged, grabbing my shoulder.

“One more minute here and you’re late for the startup. You know what’s at stake tonight—the board, the entire season. You have to go.”

He took her wrist in his, his thumb pressing down to check her pulse.

“Her pulse is steady, Ryker. You have to go. Even if…” he hesitated for a moment “even if it means I get to stay back.”

Dew never stays back.

He has never missed any game I played even in sickness. He always tagged along.

I paused. “Stay back? You sure?”

“It's not like I have a choice. This girl is passed out and you don't seem like you want to leave here until she is conscious. The team is waiting. My own stakes are in the line if you don't go out there. Of course I'm staying.”

I swallowed hard. Everything was fine just minutes ago until Dominic brought that ill-luck that had been lurking around him since he was born to my house.

I looked around the ruined basement cell and I swear if something bad happened to this girl that I had spent so much finding, the next knock on the Kane family door will be for condolence.

“Take her upstairs,” I commanded, handing Evaria over to Dew with care. “Put her in my bedroom. Lock the suite, guard the space, and don't let anyone close.”

“I’ve got her,” Dew promised.

One last thing, I said just before leaving. “Tell them, today is the last day anything like Dominic steps their feet in my compound.”

“Yes sir…”

…

The roar of thirty thousand fans inside the arena usually cleared my head. But today, it sounded like a kind of noise from a broken radio. My mind was constantly drifting back to my house. Uncertain of how Evaria was doing.

Heaven will fall if my investment goes to ruins.

I lined up at center ice, my grip tightening around my stick.

Directly across from me, lining up on the opposing wing, was Dominic wearing the opposing jersey.

He wasn't looking at the puck. He was staring straight at me, a cocky, disgusting smirk plastered across his face.

The whistle blew and the puck dropped.

The game turned into a bloodbath within three minutes. Every time the play moved into the neutral zone, Dominic targeted me, throwing dirty elbows and crowding my space, and pushing my limits.

“You're one hell of a dirty vault?” Dominic taunted, slamming his shoulder into mine as we chased the puck. “A hybrid, Ryker. Hidden right under your nose.”

“Shut your mouth and play the game,” I growled, digging my blade into the ice and ripping the puck away from him.

“What did you buy her for? Huh? For your secret pleasure hunt?”

He was talking nonsense.

“Mind your fucking business, Dominic!”

“You can’t keep her locked away forever,” he shot back, skating hard. “The moment this game ends, I’m going for her. And I'm taking her back. Wanna bet?”

To even think he had the nerve to say shit like this after I was still dealing with the aftermath of the chaos he had caused.

I didn't even think about my next action. I delivered a brutally yet legal body check that sent Dominic flying into the glass barrier.

The crowd roared…

Dominic bounced back up from the boards, laughing, his eyes flashing silver under his visor.

We sprinted back toward the blue line, chasing the puck.

Then, it hit me.

A sudden, agonizing pressure exploded right in the center of my chest.

I froze mid-stride. This wasn't a physical pain from a rival's stick or something.

It was a sharp pain that pierced directly through my heart, and was quickly radiating through every single vein in my body.

What the hell? I took my pills before coming on ice. What… what could….

The arena lights suddenly turned blurry. The roar of the crowd died, totally replaced by a deafening, high-pitched ring in my ears and just like that, the hockey puck vanished from my sight.

No… no… not here. Not now.

I gasped for air, but my lungs refused to respond. I tried to move but my body became so heavy I couldn't even balance with the skate anymore.

My knees trembled. I clutched my jersey over my heart, while struggling to stay upright on my skates. I forced my head up to look across the rink with my hazy gaze.

And I saw it.

Dominic.

He had stopped skating.

The game was still raging around him, players from both teams flying past, but Dominic was standing still.

His hockey stick dropped from his gloves, falling uselessly onto the ice.

Mine fell too.

Both of his hands moved and clamped tightly over his chest.

My hands too, clutched my chest as the pain intensified.

Our eyes locked across the distance.

Even through the dark tint of our visors, I could see the panic in his eyes. He was feeling it too. The same pain I was feeling.

Dominic’s knees buckled first. He collapsed forward, his helmet hitting the ice with a dull thud.

Before I could even register his fall, the darkness rushed in to claim me too. My vision went black, and my body slammed heavily onto the cold, hard ice.