I collapse to the ground, panting heavily. Long, light-colored claws erupt from my fingers, pushing their way through my nail beds, splitting my nails apart. The same claws my mom had. When people learn what happened to her, their response is always:I’m so sorry for your loss.
But I didn’t lose her.
My mom wastakenfrom me.
And I’m not going to let anyone else be taken from me ever again.
Not Bea. Not Patricia. Not Jim.
Not Amund.
My back arches. Breaks. Screams rend the air as my spine cracks, reshaping itself. Brown fur spreads over my arms and up my neck. I stare down at a massive brown paw, complete with sharp claws. Another scream tears out of my throat.
No, not a scream.
Aroar.
I rise onto my hind legs, saliva flying from my jaws as I unleash a primal cry. A lifetime of pent-up rage rips out of me, reverberating through every bone in my body. All this time, I’ve been terrified of becoming trapped like my mom.
But Iamlike my mom. And that was never a bad thing. Surviving as long as she did took more strength than I could have ever imagined.
She was a berserkr.
Abear.
And I am her savage daughter.
Nils stumbles back. He quickly chants, low and steady as a drumbeat. As ancient words pour from his lips, his face begins to change. His head jerks violently, his neck twisting until he looks inhuman. I watch in horror as the wolf pelt slowly melds with his body, spreading over his arms, his torso, his legs. His spine snaps as he hunches over the stone floor, screaming in agony. His limbs lengthen before bendingback, bones crunching.
The werewolf rises before me.
Now I can finally see Nils for what he is. He stands on powerful hind legs, his massive paws scratching over the stone. His shoulders are hunched, and his unnaturally long arms hang beside his knees, his wicked claws like knives.
As Nils throws his head back and howls, it feels like facing my dad all over again. My chest grows tight. Fresh rage fills me. But I’m no longer a little girl. I’m a berserkr. I bellow, saliva flying from my mouth, blasting him with the force of my own challenge. I hurl myself at Nils, powerful paws ready to rip him to shreds.
I no longer have to be afraid.
Hedoes.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHTAMUND
I search the room wildly to find the source of the screams.
More shouts rise as people clear the dance floor. I push through the crowd, getting closer, until I see Tala curled up on the floor, panting heavily as she clutches her stomach. Her back arches, a scream interrupting the song. She tears at her dress like it’s constricting her. Fur spreads over her skin as her limbs lengthen. Change. And then a dark wolf has taken her place, eyes glowing bright yellow.
I hesitate, unable to act. What is happening?
Tala snarls at Val.
Val frees a dagger strapped to her thigh, brandishing it toward the sleek black wolf.
“What are you doing, ma chérie?” She backs away, broken glass crunching under her heels. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Tala bares her fangs.
All those times they fought in class, and now they might actually kill each other.
Val’s back bumps the wall, her eyes wide with panic. “Tala, stop!”
