Ryker’s POV
I stare at the spot where Ayla disappears into the trees, as if I could somehow force her to come back just by looking hard enough. My jaw aches from how tightly I’m clenching it, and every muscle in my body feels like a live wire—straining for an action I’m not allowed to take.
But I take a step forward anyway.
Kael’s hand closes around my arm before I get more than a few inches. His grip is firm, a silent command and warning.
“Don’t,” he says, his voice low and dangerous, Fenrir lurking behind the command.
The single word is enough to stop me—but not enough to calm the frustration building under my skin. It burns, sharp and ugly. The urge to chase after her, to haul her back and force her to listen, pulses through me until I feel like I might snap from the pressure.
I y
