He stares at me and shakes his head, snatching his hand back. He strokes Legion’s long black hair back from his face.
“I told him I like his hair, and he should never cut it.”
Walker is falling apart and into pieces.
“Alpha, I command you to kneel.”
He roars and struggles, but he can’t fight it. He gets to his knees. I move back, sliding Legion away from them.
I glance at Cadel. He’s got the pledges and guards moving back, their eyes huge and terrified as he growls at them.
“Give me your body.”
“No!” Walker shouts.
“Give it to me!”
“Go jump off a cliff.”
She lashes out, hitting him. He doesn’t even react.
“I’ll killher next.”
“No, you won’t,” I say before she can finish the threat.
“Dog!” the Beta commands and blows a whistle that she’s got hidden in her fist.
Walker screams. It’s so sudden and so full of pain, hate, and rage that it amazes me that it comes from a human throat.
Tears stream from his eyes.
As soon as he stops screaming, he inhales and screams again.
And again.
The sound gets deep, eerie, wild. The creature pushes through his skin, huge and monstrous. Its teeth are longer when I’m this close to it, but I can see the madness in its eyes.
It doesn’t know anyone. It just hates.
It hungers.
It hunts.
Walker is gone, buried so far deep in this beast that I don’t think he will be able to find his way back this time.
It flexes its claws in the wood and looks at the Beta Goddess. She doesn’t recoil or cringe, just stands there strong and proud. When it takes a step towards her, a pledge blows a whistle. The sound is hideous. He crouches, scratching at his ears, which have been partially clawed off.
He lowers his head; his fur stands on end, deep, black, and oily.
What did they put in this alpha?
I slide my foot back, carefully, not making a sound.
He huffs, and a trembling warble erupts from his throat. I look down at Legion. I can’t leave him here; Walker would never forgive himself.
I grab Legion and jerk, rolling fast. He lands on the stairs beside Mordecai.
I look at them, and time stands still.
