The metal burns hot and I drop to the ground. My mind blanks and a cacophony of alarm bells ring in my ears. I can’t move. My limbs refuse every order my brain sends them as if the connection between mind and body has been severed.
A fist slams into my face and I sway on my knees. Another and I crash to the ground, my head hitting the cool tile floor. Kicks come next. Three different ones from three different directions. Pain explodes inside me. I grit my teeth, forcing the pain to the recesses of my mind as I fight the mental bonds of magic. Panic spears me in the gut as I fight to free my wolf from whatever the witch hit me with as my body is assaulted.
Bone snaps. One rib broken.
A foot grazes my neck, knocking the artifact free from my skin and my wolf surges through me. A growl rips from my throat and I spring to my feet, ignoring the stabbing pain beneath my chest.
I grab the first person I find, my hand wrapping around the thin column of her throat. Wide startled eyes meet mine. I slam the unfamiliar girl into the wall, not bothering to see her body crumble before reaching for the next.
“You stupid bitch,” Sabrina yells.
I ignore her, shoving the second girl’s face against the sink. She cries out and falls to the ground, a thin trail of blood dripping from her hairline. The smell of iron fills my nostrils. It’s intoxicating. Demanding that I make them suffer. Make them regret coming after me. I want more. More blood. More pain.
I turn to face Sabrina, the leader of this little trio, and my fingertips itch, eager for my claws to spring free. I want to bite and claw and rip into her. I want to bathe in her blood and howl at the moon announcing my kill.
I shut the bloodlust off, willing my wolf to calm down.
Her eyes go wide with fear, her pupils swallowing the irises. She reaches into her bag, her fingers fumbling to retrieve something that maybe, just maybe, will save her from my wrath.
I stalk forward, letting my wolf flood my gaze and she freezes like a deer in headlights. “Y…yo...you can’t hurt me,” she stammers, but I can hear the rapid beat of her heart. Can practically see her fear as if it were a tangible thing.
In one hand she clutches a vial of something I can’t make out but whatever it is, it won’t be enough.
A vicious smile curls the edges of my mouth and with lighting quick speed I lunge for her, wrapping my hand around her throat and lifting her high in the air. Her feet dangle a foot off the ground and feeble nails try and dig into my skin.
Her mouth opens and closes. Once. Twice. Three times. Like a dying fish desperate for air. The two girls behind me don’t move. One is passed out. The other, frozen in place with fear. I inhale a deep breath savoring the smell of her fear.
Sabrina continues to struggle in my hold, her face red and angry.
I jerk her forward until our foreheads almost touch. I let her see the predator lurking inside me and hold her gaze. She shoves her arm out, crushing the vial against my chest. I look down. Dark blue liquid stains my chest and I pause, waiting for something to happen. When it doesn’t, I tighten my hold and watch as her skin darkens. Her lips take on a bluish hue. Her heart slows as the fight leaves her and her arms fall to her sides. My nostrils flare. The scent of her fear is intoxicating but I know I can’t focus on it. It calls to my wolf and demands retribution. I shake my head as bloodlust threatens to consume me once more.
Forcing my hand to open, she crumbles to the ground. Hugging the floor, she gasps, then coughs and chokes as she desperately tries to suck air into her lungs.
I wait. Seconds tick by. Then minutes. I patiently stand there flicking my gaze toward her friends who still haven’t moved, not even to help her, as five long minutes pass. When Sabrina finally regains her composure her head tilts back to look at me.
She blurs in front of me. I blink but she stays that way. Fuzzy and out of focus. I take a deep breath through my nose and a pungent odor fills my nostrils. What the hell? I look down at my chest and can barely make out the splotches of color staining my shirt. Shit. Guess it did work.
My head spins and I force myself to remain standing. I glower in her direction as if I can still make out her gaze.
“I am not easy prey,” I spit out. “The next time you decide to come after me, I won’t bother containing my wolf. Do you understand?”
She says nothing but her head moves in what I think is a nod. “Words, Sabrina. I need words to know you can hear me.”
Nausea works its way up. I need to get out of here.
“Y..yes.” The word is forced and raspy.
“Yes, what?” I lock my limbs to avoid swaying, needing to drive home my point.
“Y…yes. I..I understand.”
“Good.” I head in the direction of the door just as the bell rings. My fingers scramble for the handle. Finding it I jerk it open and step out into the sea of bodies.
My head spins and I know I’m seconds away from collapsing. I suck in a breath through my mouth and clench my hands into tight fists to keep them from shaking.
Keeping my head down, I focus on walking in a straight line, relying on my other senses to keep from crashing into anyone. Fuck. I think I’m going to vomit. The room on my right sounds empty and I run my fingers
