“Why are you still talking?” he rumbles, looking very uncomfortable.
“Blade! They are all dead!” comes the yell from the other nephilim, and the one in front of me looks down at me—ah, he’s finally getting it.
“I tried to tell you, also...Blade? Really? How fucking cliché.” I laugh, leaning against him. “Oh, Blade, please don’t kill me,” I mock, my deep male voice breaking as I try to talk in a higher pitch.
Before he can push me away again, I grab the knife in his hand and bury it in his stomach. “Ironic, Blade dies by a blade,” I sneer, as I twist it in deeper. He groans, blood pooling around my hands as he falls backwards. But his wings shoot out and his eyes flash gold. Whoops, angel boy is mad.
Well, so the fuck am I.
Grabbing the blade, I leap into the air using the human’s strength, and imbed it in his eye, driving it into that golden orb. “Take that, you winged bastard,” I mutter as I drop to the floor and roll, getting to my feet. I watch as the nephilim falls to his knees before tumbling forward to the ground, the blade pushed deeper with a sickening squelch by the force of the fall.
I yelp as I’m smashed into the wall and a hand goes around my throat, cutting off my air supply. The other nephilim pins me there as he snarls at me, his eyes glowing with that same golden hue. “Skinwalker,” he hisses.
“You…are…smarter…than…the…other…one,” I wheeze, bringing my knee up and connecting it with his cock and balls. He drops me to the floor as he falls backwards with a pained howl. “Still weak though.”
He recovers quicker than I thought he would and lunges for me. I duck under his hands and snatch some glass from the floor, cutting my palms, and I slash upwards. Sliding out from between his legs, I spin and throw myself onto his back, then he starts bucking and slamming me into the walls.
His wings take us higher as he smashes me into the ceiling, trying to dislodge me. Grunting from the impact, I wrap my legs tighter around him and use the glass like a weapon. I stab at him, at every inch I can get, again and again, until suddenly we drop to the floor. Groaning, I roll from his body and get to my feet, panting as I glance down to see his eyes open and wide as he gapes down at the glass embedded right into his chest. Blood pumps out quicker than it can heal. Crouching down, I grab the glass and twist it, narrowing my eyes at him. “This is for Griffin.”
His eyes flare at that as I wrench out the glass, letting the blood spurt and drain from his body. I watch him die, a sick satisfaction filling me. Standing, I drop the glass to the floor and step over their bodies. I’m just about to leave when a thought hits me. Looking back, I spot all the wasted blood and a grin stretches across my lips.
Dipping my finger in the crimson liquid, I start to write on the wall, leaving the council a warning. Let them feel the same fear I did, that all these women did. For once they are the prey, and I want them to know it.
I’m coming for you.
Whistling, I make my way back across the property. It takes as long as it originally did to get here with Amos, but something strange happens. A wolf emerges from within the darkness of the trees like it was waiting for me. But it’s no normal wolf, it’s huge, as big as me standing in this male’s skin. Its eyes are a bright, abnormal blue, like the stars are caught in its eyes. Something about it stops me and I stare, it stares right back. Its fur is a deep black with streaks of grey lighting it, and what look like silver hoops hang from its left ear, three of them. The symbol on its head makes me stare—an upside-down crescent moon that seems to glow silver with specks of white around it. What is this wolf?
My heart slams in my chest, my body unable to move, to walk away. What the fuck is happening? Its muzzle opens in a snarl as its head lowers.
Narrowing my eyes, I flash my teeth at him.
“Don’t start, doggy, I know a forest god who will kick your ass,” I warn, pointing my finger at him. He snarls and snaps at me, so I smack his muzzle. “No, bad wolf, no eating.”
He whimpers, a whine catching in his throat as he puts his teeth away and lowers his head before dropping to his belly and rolling over. I snort, bend down, and rub his fur there. “That’s a good little wild wolf, yes it is, who’s a good boy? Yes, you are. Now go, eat the council for all I care.”
Standing, I start back through the forest but the hair on the back of my neck rises again, so I look over my shoulder to see the wolf trotting behind me. “No! No wolf pets, Griffin will kill me!” I groan and it stops and sits down, giving me those wide eyes. “God fucking damn it. Fine, but I swear if you piss in the house he’ll try to kill you!” Turning around, I rub my hair in frustration. The stupid mutt better be potty trained, how the fuck am I supposed to explain to my mates that we adopted a wolf? Is it not bad enough I’m coming back with a new vampire and a minotaur?
Grumbling to myself, I head back through the training grounds which are empty, pretending that I’m supposed to be here. If I do and anyone sees me, they might not question it. Fake it till you make it. The wolf lopes after me happily, his tongue lolled out to the side.
I use the entrance Veyo pulled me through and easily find the steps down to the dungeon, then I take a deep breath. I willingly go back down there to the monsters that are waiting.
The wolf follows me as I pass the many, many cells, trying to remember all the twists and turns that will lead me back to Dume, but my power starts to falter. I’ve been wearing this skin for a while, not to mention I stored it and it feels like it’s stretched too tight, like it might snap.
A groan leaves my lips as I stumble into the wall, breathing heavily as sweat beads on my brow, and when I try to step forward, needing to get to Dume before I change in the hallway, I tumble to the ground.
Back bowing, hands scratching at the cement, I stop the scream in my throat as the change takes me by surprise. When it’s done and I’m back to being Dawn, I hear a snarl and look up, spotting the wolf. Fuck. He watches me in confusion, sneaking closer, and I freeze, wondering if it’s going to try and eat me again. But then he whines, and his tongue comes out, licking my face.
“Good boy,” I coo, rubbing his neck.
“What the fuck, Vasculo, is that a fucking wolf?” Griffin yells, and I turn to see him with an apron on and two trays held in each hand as he gawks at me.
“I can explain...are you wearing an apron?” I ask, cocking my head to the side. “Cute. Will you wear one at home and nothing else?”
He drops the trays to the ground and the wolf bounds over and starts to lick up the food as Griffin rips the apron away, his expression transforming into one of anger, his eyes flashing with that familiar madness that has my thighs clenching. He storms my way and yanks me to my feet, pressing his hand to my throat. “What the fuck were you doing up there? Where did he take you?”
“Oh, just out for a creepy stroll through the woods.”
Griffin roars, pushing me away and staring down at my wolf friend who is snarling and biting at his leg, trying to pull him away from me. Griffin looks up at me with an expression as if to say ‘see?’ before pushing him away and growling at the wolf.
“He doesn’t understand, he thinks you were attacking me.” I huff and get to my knees, stroking the wolf. “Did big bad Griffin scare you? He’s all bark and no bite, sweetie.”