With a "creak", the bones trembled.
Holden lifted his gaze to Ryan's dark eyes and grinned, dismissively, "Oh, you were not defeated?"
These years, the wolf population had continued to develop and the number of descendants proliferated. They were growing exponentially, and the tribe was getting crowded, so they had the idea of taking the leopard's opposite valley.
The leopards occupied the entire valley which was ten times larger than the wolves' territory.
Ryan, who was the leader of the leopards, had naturally refused to budge and repeatedly pushed Holden and his people out again.
Holden knew that the leopards liked to be on their own, so he led dozens of his people to attack Ryan while he was alone.
Holden then sneaked in from the side and personally tore Ryan's back leg, wounding him severely.
Although the means weren't glorious, as long as they won, rules didn't matter for wolves.
"So satisfied with your first victory, aren't you wolves thinking too highly of yourselves?"
Ryan's voice was indifferent and he did not put eyes on Holden's provocation. He turned slightly to look at the girl standing to the side.
Perhaps frightened, the girl was pale and her eyes opened wide, bright and clear as they stared at him, astonished.
When Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu slid down the tree, the tip of her nose was rubbed raw by the bark and her sleeves were stained. The top sides of her shoes were wet with blood from the wolves' last meal, and her whole body looked like she'd experienced a disaster, both sloppy and miserable.
Ryan's heart sank and the repressed emotions from yesterday seemed to finally find a breakthrough. He silently bent down and wrapped one arm around her supple waist, the other under her legs, and lifted her from the ground without explanation.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu suddenly soar up into the air and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck, then remembered her failed "escape attempt" and quickly loosened her hands.
"What, what are you doing here?"
She heard Suzanna say that Ryan and his hunting trip encountered some trouble and they were going to return to the race a little later than expected. So she had decided to leave yesterday.
But. . . how did he get back so soon?? (the wife senses were tingling)
How did he know she was there? (the built in wife-radar)
Did he come specifically to find her? (of course, wife)
These series of question marks hung around her head, when she say the tight restraint in Ryan's eyes, they all turned into air and she swallowed them to her belly.
Okay. . . it was her fault for leaving without saying goodbye.
He should be angry too.
Ryan did not know the girl's thoughts were tossing back and forth. He effortlessly held Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's buttocks in one hand and, without taking a single glance at Holden or the wolves, began to walk away.
Just two steps later, both sides were suddenly overtaken by wolves and blocked Ryan's path.
Holden's voice rang out from behind him, "You don't bother to greet me and you take away my things. Ryan, have you forgotten whose territory this is?"
By the time he was done speaking, the two wolves walked towards Ryan with open mouths and fierce expressions.
At the same time, two wolves rushed up from the back and aimed for Ryan's injured right leg, exposing his teeth and mercilessly biting down——
With enemies at his back, Ryan bared his teeth and the air surrounding him became impatient.
He lifted his long leg and aimed for one of the wolves' heads. He stepped on it and kicked, tossing the other party far into the air and slamming his body into a tree trunk. He heard the clear sound of a skull cracking open. Ryan quickly backed up a few steps and the two wolves facing him rushed forward, missing him and smashing into each other.
The wolves saw this and slightly retreated, taking advantage of Ryan's distraction to attack from behind.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu saw this over Ryan's shoulders and her heart clenched hard as she blurted out: "Táo Táo, look out!"
As soon as she spoke, Ryan swiveled around, still holding her, and pressed the claws on his other hand against the wolf's neck. His pupils darkened and he suddenly forced it forward.
With a "creak", the wolf beastman's neck was snapped and his breath died.
The two wolves that were tangled together on the ground stood up and renewed their assault on Ryan. At the same time, Holden rushed in from the back and aimed for Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu.
Ryan single-handedly broke another wolf's neck and evaded to the side. The other wolf stretched out his claws and stabbed for Ryan.
Ryan's arm was streaked with blood and slowly rolled down his arm onto the snow.
He raised his arm and licked across the wound, his voice indifferent, "Is that all you're capable of?"
After he spoke, he lifted a foot and stepped on the wolf that stabbed him, mercilessly stomping him into the snow.
Holden's eyes twitched and his face warped.
Ryan's strength was obvious to all. Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to become the leopard's leader.
But now, he was holding Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu with one hand and had only one active hand. Even then, he easily dealt with the four wolf beastmen.
And those four beastmen were some of their race's elites.
When had he become so powerful?
Holden narrowed his eyes and elongated his claws, striking at the girl on Ryan's shoulder——
Really, though, he didn't even get to touch her. Ryan quickly slashed at his arm and used his that same injured arm to throw him over his shoulder.
This was seamlessly done, and not even making a splash in the snow.
Holden, however, laid on the ground for a long time.
His limbs were numb but his mind was clear. Even his chest felt as if it was torn apart, and that pain spread rapidly into his limbs.
Holden raised his hand to his chest and licked his tongue.
In the past, Holden wasn't as good as Ryan, but he could still hold his own for a little while. This time, he didn't last even a single strike and was thrown straight into the floor.
Holden's heart was depressed. He lifted his eyes and saw Ryan stepping into the forest while holding the girl. His eyes shifted to his shoulder and met the girl's startled gaze. Then his mouth curled into a vicious smile.
After a few moments, once there was no light behind Ryan at all, he uttered, "Poor little girl. The leopard's females are so few because none can bear their savagery. Once he is tired of you, he will give you to them and the people of that tribe will take their turns with you. By the time you feel regret. . . it will be too late."
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu's fingers tightened on Ryan's shoulders.
Subconsciously, she looked at Ryan.
Ryan held her in his strong arms and walked back to the leopard's Camuda Valley.
She had to admit, Holden had spoken the words already on her mind.
That was one of the reasons she didn't want to stay with the leopards. They shared their women, and that was something she had never heard of.
Though Ryan had promised she would not be treated like that, but. . . the rules of the leopards had been the same for hundreds of years. How could they change for her alone?
*
The tall and stalwart beastman carried the girl for two hours, silent all the way.
Soon, they passed over a hill and faced the entrance of Camuda Valley.
Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu had wanted to speak several times in that uncomfortable silence, but before she could open her mouth, Ryan would frown and speed up. He shifted through the jungle with ease and would stand at the edge of a dangerous cliff, every time. Ryan would hold her unsteadily and Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu, afraid of falling, would click to his neck and bury her face in his chest.
End Chapter 36 of 77