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• help me!"

That voice...

Ander fought through the grey haze of pain. It hurt just to breathe, but that voice... Kiana's voice. She needed him, and he had made a promise.

"Kiana..." Ander started to rise. Even this simple action made his head spin, and now there were alarming splotches of black clouding the edges of his vision. How much blood had he lost? He didn't know. Probably a lot.

"Ander! Hel-"

Banno suddenly grabbed Kiana by the throat, his long fingers completely encircling her like a necklace, cutting off her words. She scratched fruitlessly, gasping for air. "Now, you little bitch!" he said through gritted teeth. "By the Cora, I'll make you pay!"

"You leave her alone!" Ander rushed forward, the world swaying before his eyes, and fell onto Banno's back. He wound his good arm around his brother's neck in a chokehold, forcing him to release her.

Kiana instinctively recoiled the moment Banno's grip was broken, a move that threatened to tumble her into the crushing waters.

"No!" Ander reached out, grabbed her flailing hand before she could keel over backwards, and jerked her to the side as hard as he could, away from the water's edge and away from the creature writhing beneath him.

Unfortunately, that was all it took for Banno to regain the upper hand.

Before Ander knew what was happening, before he could even make sure Kiana was all right, an elbow caught him underneath the eye.

Sky and earth switched places and suddenly he was on his back, the river raging beside him, staring up into Banno's cruel face as his fingers locked around his neck, his thumbs digging painfully into his throat.

"This is it, Ander! You hear me!? This is the end! You're no brother of mine! You never were! You're not even a real Wolf! Your whole life is a lie! Your very blood is a lie!" Blood dripped from Banno's snout with every word, and Ander couldn't even tell whose blood it was anymore. There was blood everywhere, inside and out.

Blood of hunter and prey.

Of friend and foe.

Of family and stranger.

Blood of brothers.

These were the bonds of blood. Forever and ever.

"You're wrong, brother," Ander said as Banno lowered his head to deliver the death bite, to finally taste of his death. "Blood doesn't lie. It binds."

Ander grabbed Banno by the shoulders and, mustering what little strength he had left, wrenched them both over the side...

Into the raging brown torrents of the river.