“No, Etta,” Doc said. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Put your sword down, girl,” William said. “Unless you want dear old grandma’s blood on your hands.”
I hesitated for a moment, then put the sword on the ground at my feet.
“Walk over to Billy Bob,” he ordered. “And no sudden movements, or I’ll bleed her like a pig to slaughter.”
I shuddered at the image. “I’m moving. Just don’t hurt her.”
I didn’t see Chavvah. She’d probably been smart enough to stay out of sight until she could make a move.
Bette gnashed her teeth at the homicidal alpha. “Leave her alone, William. You don’t need her to do the ritual. My heart is as good as hers. Better even. I’ve had a lot of years to build up my power.”
“Lot of good it did you.” William spat. “A healing here or there. What a waste of talent.”
“Please, Bette,” I begged. “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me.”
“Don’t worry, my girl. I’ve had a good long life free of him, and after I’m gone, I’ll be free once again.” She narrowed her gaze at me, then pivoted her eyes toward my sword. “Besides, William will make it painless. Right?”
“Sure,” the man said. “Quick and painless.”
I wasn’t afraid of William. Not anymore. Instead of fear, all I felt was brain-melting fury. The rage made my skin buzz with energy.
“I’ll go peacefully into the light, my girl.” Bette smiled at me and then said, “It’s better than a sharp fork in the eye.”
A sharp fork in the eye…The restaurant. I’d made the forks and butter knives dance around her head. I gave her a nod. “Glow bomb.”
Her gaze intensified. “Glow bomb,” she repeated.
“What are you talking about—”
Bette clapped her hands, and I shielded my eyes as the blinding light exploded in front of her. William threw her to the ground as he turned away from the blast.
“Gotcha,” I said. And with pure raw emotion, I lifted the sword with my mind and sent it straight into the back of William’s skull. It made a sucking noise as it went in on one side, and the tip stuck out on the other.
No one looked more surprised than William, his eyes wide as he turned to face me one last time, his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t form the words.
He crumpled to the ground. Unbelievably, the piece of shit was still breathing. I stared at him, unable to manufacture even the slightest bit of sympathy. This was the man who had kept me a prisoner with his lies my whole life, and tonight he would’ve murdered me in cold blood just to consume my magic. He’d succeeded in showing me that he wasn’t a man. He wasn’t even a monster. “You’re pathetic,” I seethed as blood gurgled from his mouth. “For a big bad wolf, you sure do die like a coward.”
His eyes widened as his chest made a terrible wet sound, and then he simply ceased to exist.
“Good riddance, asshole.” I turned my back on his body. William was not worth any more of my time.
Chavvah, a big stick in hand, came out from behind a woodpile on the porch. “Ding dong, my daughter the witch is a freaking badass,” she said with awe.
Bette knelt next to William. “Hurry.” She waved me over. “Come here, Etta.”
I was glad William was gone, but I was done with him. “I can’t.”
“Do you want your wolf back?” she asked seriously.
I blinked. “How?”
Bette waved her hand at me. “I can shift his shade into you.”
I shook my head as the horror of what she proposed settled in. “I don’t want his wolf.”
“It won’t be his once it melds with your essence. It will be yours. The power isn’t a separate being. It’s in you, or it's not. But if you want it back, you have to hurry. I can feel it leaving William’s body.”
