Page 81 of Shadow

He was going to shift.

“Daddy,” a small, trembling voice cried.

Peering around Boot, my stomach dropped at the sight.

Che was perched precariously on the edge of a ten-foot building. He had used a large garbage can and then climbed a ladder on it to get higher. He was just out of reach of a pack of hellhounds.

They were monstrous and grotesque, their glowing eyes locked onto the boy as they circled beneath him. Their jagged claws scraped against the metal, and their teeth glinted like razors in the dim light.

I was thankful they hadn’t tried to climb yet.

Could they climb?

I didn’t know, but I did know they were capable of jumping. Che’s quick thinking had bought him a chance, but it wasn’t enough.

There were too many of them, and the reality slammed into me like a freight train.

We were outnumbered.

If we fought, we were going to die.

Boot’s beast exploded from his body with a feral snarl. His shirt shredded as his muscles expanded, and his shoes were obliterated as razor-sharp claws ripped through them. Without a word, he charged the hellhounds at full speed.

Fuck.

Che fell silent, frozen as he watched his father launch into the pack of monsters. Boot didn’t stand a chance. There was no way he could take them all down alone.

My heart pounded as I realized I needed to get to Che before he saw this tragedy. I couldn’t allow Boot’s sacrifice to be for nothing.

I glanced up at the building where Che was perched.

There was another building about five feet from it. I spotted another ladder about ten feet away. They must have been doing construction in this part of the city.

There was no time to think about what could go wrong.

A five-year-old boy’s life was at stake, and that was all that mattered.

My legs moved before my brain caught up.

One of the hellhounds noticed me and turned, its glowing eyes locking onto its new target.

Me.

I sprinted, leaping for the ladder and scrambling up just before the creature lunged. I hauled myself onto the roof and hurriedly pulled the ladder up behind me.

I couldn’t look at the space between the buildings.

All I could do was run harder than I ever had before.

I flew through the air, not thinking about what would happen if I didn’t make it. My feet landed on solid roof, and I fell into a crouch. Standing, I grabbed Che’s ladder, pulling it upward, and moved it to a higher building.

“Che, climb!” I yelled.

His wide eyes were brimming with fear, but he nodded and started scrambling upward, his small limbs moving faster than I thought possible. I followed, forcing myself not to look down at what was happening below.

Che reached the roof, and I pulled myself up seconds later.

“My dad!” he cried, spinning back toward the edge.

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