Page 97 of Howling
Of fucking course he did.
Rats like him run at the first sign of a sinking ship.
“I warned you not to fuck with me,” he rasps, a malicious grin spreading across his face as he storms into the bathroom. He cracks his knuckles, twisting his neck from side to side in anticipation. “I’m going to enjoy making you hurt.”
Just as I work my blade free, his whip snaps out with a loud crack, and the knife in my hand clatters across the bathroom. The leather strap coils around my arm, and I hastily grab it, then heave back with my full weight.
He stumbles into the room at the unexpected move, and the slack allows me to unwrap the coils. I don’t have time to dive for my knife before he draws back his arm, and I have to release his whip to dodge his blow. Unfortunately, the bathroom is too small to go anywhere. I charge toward the wall, kick off, and throw a punch at the big fucker.
Even with my shifter strength, he barely grunts under the blow. He grabs my hips before I can escape, then slams me into the cupboard so hard that it caves inward, and I find myself in the confined space with no way to escape. I draw up my knees to my chest and kick out with my legs. My feet land with a thump against his torso, but he barely rocks back.
A sinister smile twists the scar that runs along his jaw at my predicament, and I grit my teeth at the promise of pain that lights up his dull green eyes. As he reaches for my neck, I grab a shard of broken wood and shove it into his armpit, hoping to hit the main artery.
Splinters shred my hand, but I barely feel the damage when the fucker snarls in my face.
It’s like the asshole is immune to pain!
The next instant, he grabs my shirt and drags me out of the cupboard, my feet dangling off the ground. I draw up my legs and plant my boots into his gut, kicking off as hard as possible.
My shirt tears, and I wiggle free from the remnants, leaving me standing in a tank top and jeans. Running is not an option. The instant I turn my back on him, I’m dead. So instead, I bounce on my feet and wait for his next move. I search for alternate escape routes, but the coffin-like room doesn’t even have a window.
While the small space limits my movements, it also prevents the big guy from using his full strength. I smile at the blood soaking the front of his shirt, quickly deciding to change tactics. While I’m trained, he is as well.
I need an edge.
Spells, I can handle, but I’m just as susceptible to a fist to the face as anyone else.
Shifters can take a lot of abuse, but when faced against a stronger opponent, the fight is just as uneven. My wolf snarls in my head, demanding I release her, but I don’t have time to shift before he will be on me.
I sniff the air, wondering how he can be so fucking strong, and a tiny whiff of magic curls off his chest. An amulet dangles from a chain around his neck, and I curse myself for not realizing it sooner.
I reach for the magic with my abilities, but everything inside me recoils and throbs when I touch it, every inch of me curling in on itself to escape the pain.
Okay, then, we’ll do this old-school.
I march forward and kick him in the balls as hard as possible. He leans forward, twisting to the side to block the blow, and his amulet swings into view. Even as I reach for it, he lashes out with his fist, and the side of my face explodes with pain.
It knocks me for a loop, and I stumble away, my back throwing open the bathroom door. I stagger into the bedroom, almost expecting the guys to be waiting for me, but the house is silent as a tomb. Worry tightens my chest, fear for them distracting me, and I can’t stop wondering what he did to them.
If he fucking touched them, I’ll kill him.
A faint trace of magic dances on the edge of my senses, and I realize that he has spelled the room to silence any noise. He’s smarter than I gave him credit for, and I’m annoyed at myself for underestimating him.
The asshole charges out of the bathroom like a rampaging rhino, the remains of the door virtually disintegrating under the force. Pleased that I got under his skin, I hold up the amulet and smirk at the asshole, ignoring the blood that trickles from my split lip.
“Why don’t we make this a fair fight?” I taunt, then drop the amulet to the floor and stomp on it hard enough that the crystal cracks. The magic turns to black ash, and the crystal dulls as the spell dies. “You should have taken my advice and left when you had the chance.”
A smile slowly lifts the corner of his lips, and he releases a full belly laugh. “Oh, but I did take your advice. I contacted the people holding your bounty. They’re willing to double the price if I deliver you tonight.”
My whole body chills at the thought of the Orion being so close. Even if I managed to escape, the chances of eluding them are nearly nonexistent.
This is the closest they’ve been since I left Kyperian.
Instead of staying to shower, I should’ve left immediately.
I have no one to blame but myself.
I shake off my fear, my resolve to kill this fucker solidifying.
