Rodrigo frowned, his body growing still, the girl's face was sheet-white, scratched, her dress torn at the ends.
″What do you mean, missing?″ he asked in a low tone.
She panted, pointing her trembling hands towards the forest.
Rodrigo's stomach dropped before she even spoke.
"The Luna," Moreen choked out. "In the forest—there were wolves—she's gone—"
Rodrigo didn't think. Every second counted.
"Seven!"
Seven was in front of him in an instant. When he saw the trembling girl, he glanced at the Rodrigo with worry.
"The Luna's missing. Get everyone, to the forest now."
Without wasting an extra second, he made for the forest.
He was fast. Ultra human speed, but it didn't compare to a wolf's speed, but thankfully, he'd been with her, so he could smell her scent. She was close.
Seven and the other lycans followed after him, all of them dispersing into the woods as they searched for her.
Rodrigo pushed ahead of the group, his boots pounding against the dirt path. His mind raced. But he didn't want to think about anything until he'd found her.
The forest grew denser. Then he smelled it.
Blood.
His pace quickened. The trees thinned ahead, opening into a clearing bathed in dying sunlight. He broke through the tree line and stopped dead in his tracks.
She was standing at the edge of a cliff, her back to the drop which fell into the Hedres river. Two giant wolves circled her, heads low, teeth bared. Her dress was dark with blood, soaked through at the shoulders, most likely where they had gripped her. It dripped down her arms in thin red lines.
She was shaking. Taking tiny steps backward.
Closer to the edge.
The wolves' heads swiveled toward him, snarling as their eyes darkened.
Seven came up beside him and went still. "Those aren't normal wolves."
Rodrigo's jaw tightened. No, they weren't. The size alone gave them away. These were cursed wolves, trapped in wolf forms permanently.
But they only killed humans and not wolves, so why were they after her?
Nina's foot slipped dragging Rodrigo back to the present. A pebble skittered over the cliff edge.
Rodrigo gritted his teeth.
He needed to act fast.
He was strong but definitely not stronger than wolves.
One of the wolves turned to them, its teeth snarling.
Rodrigo needed to buy time for the other lycans to find them. He and Seven could not take care of the wolves alone.
He began to dart backward. One of the wolves followed his movement, a low reverberating sound escaping from it's throat.
Just then, six of his lycans emerged from the forest.
″Distract them, I'll get the Luna.″ Rodrigo said, and they charged towards the wolves. Two of the wolves broke away, snarling as they met the lycans head-on.
But the last one didn't move. It stayed fixed on Nina, muscles coiled.
It stood there, eyes locked on Rodrigo.
Nina's foot slipped. A small stone tumbled over the edge.
″Don't move.″ Rodrigo commanded and she nodded furiously, tears streaming down her face.
Rodrigo's jaw clenched. The wolf knew what he was thinking. He had maybe two seconds.
In an instant exploded forward, his supernatural speed blurring the world around him. The wolf launched at the same instant, a flash of gray fur and rage.
They were both going for her.
Rodrigo stretched out his arm, his fingers brushing fabric—
He grabbed her wrist and yanked her backward.
But his foot found nothing but air.
The edge.
Nina's scream cut off as they went over, the wolf's jaws snapping where her throat had been a second before. The ground disappeared. The sky spun.
And then they were falling.
...
Nina screamed as the ground disappeared beneath her.
She was falling, the world tilting into chaos.
Then something caught her waist, yanking her sideways. She slammed into Rodrigo's chest, his arm locking around her. But they were still falling, plummeting toward the sound of rushing water below.
The cliff face blurred past. Nina couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her fingers clawed at his shirt as the ground rushed up to meet them.
Then Rodrigo's arm tightened around her waist.
He pulled her closer, turning them both in one fluid motion. Suddenly she was pressed against him, her face tucked into his neck, his body to the river below, and she on top of him.
Nina shut her eyes tightly, as she held onto him for dear life.
And then. Water slammed into them.
Cold. Bone-deep cold that stole the air from her lungs. The impact was brutal even through Rodrigo's body taking the fall. They plunged deep, the river swallowing them whole.
Instantly, current ripped her away from him.
Nina tumbled through the dark water, completely disoriented.
Which way was up? Her lungs burned as she kicked hard, desperate as she swam upwards with the unbroken shoulder, then her head broke through the surface.
She gasped for air, coughing as she choked on the water.
The current was vicious, dragging her downstream.
Nina looked around, searching for him, "Rodrigo!"
She screamed.
There was no answer.
Was he still inside the water? Did the impact kill him?
She dove into the water again, searching for him, but she could barely make anything out in the darkness. Her shoulder screamed in pain, her legs growing weak. She kicked back up, gasping.
Where was he?
Nina's eyes grew red with fear, her heart pounding against her chest.
Did he die?
She didn't want to think about it. He'd come to save her, taken the impact of the fall, if he died...
Her heart squeezed painfully at the thought.
The current spun her around and she caught a glimpse of something dark at the shore. Before she could make sense of it, the river swept her toward a cluster of rocks.
Nina threw her hands up. Her palms hit stone and she clung to it, fighting to keep her head above water.
Her whole body shook. Blood still seeped from her shoulder, mixing with the river water.
"Rodrigo!" She called loudly, but there was no sound.
She began to swim towards the shore, and as she approached her eyes widened in shock.
He lay at the bank, his face pale.
Nina knelt in front of him, her hands shaking as she lowered her head to his chest.
He wasn't breathing.