I dodge his blow and pop him in the nose.
Crack.
“Last chance.” I hold out my arms. “Come on, guys. We don’t have to do this. Leave the cage, close the door and go back to your post. No one has to know I hit you. No one has to get further injured. Come on, what do you say?”
Thing One grasps his nose, while Thing Two holds his hands up. His eyes dart nervously from Thing One and me and I can tell he’s having second thoughts. Unfortunately for him, Thing One isn’t ready to give up. He lunges, but he doesn’t set up any of his shots, doesn’t target anything. He keeps coming. Harder.
He assumes I won’t be ready, but I am.
With my back against the wall, fear kicks in. I see red.
My wolf growls, rising to the surface.Jay...she says, warning me that she’s about to take over.
I’ve got it,I assure her. But she lingers on the surface, staying close by if I need anything.
I chop his throat with a stiff hand, and he spirals into a coughing fit. With a sweep of the leg, he falls with athump.
When the threat is gone and my back is no longer against the wall, our sense of safety returns. My vision clears. It’s like my wolf removed the covering from my eyes and decided the threat is gone.
The guards rush me again, and I try to yell and convince them that I’m not the villain, once again. But no one cares what your intention is when the impact is so great. They just see you as a monster.
“You think I like fighting? I don’t! In fact, I hate it,” I yell.
Now they aren’t even trying to get up. I bend down with my hands on my knees and softly and pleasantly ask, “How about we call this a tie?
“Fuck you, bitch!” Thing One shouts as loud as his hoarse voice will let him.
Rude.
“You’re a monster!” Thing Two cries.
“Hey!” I make a sudden movement unintentionally, causing him to flinch, and I try not to take the response personally but fail.
I’m not a monster.
“It wasn’t me who opened the cell door, was it? I warned you. But your ego was too big,” I say defensively.
A whistling diverts my attention. Caleb and the hybrid king are standing at the bottom of the steps, their eyes wide and trained on the mess I’ve made.
I’m dead.
I wasn’t breaking a sweat before, but I am now.
“Jay...” Caleb cautiously steps forward. “What did you do?”
Judging by their open mouths, they appear both appalled and astonished by the scene before them. Their eyes scan the injured men.
I thought when you became an adult, the fear you get as a pup when you get in trouble would go away. Yet here I am, panicking that I’m going to get blamed.
We did nothing wrong,my wolf says.
I know, I say back, but if history repeats itself, I know I’ll be blamed regardless.
“I-I told them not to come into the cage. They—They wouldn’t listen. I didn’t want to hurt them. Y-You have to believe me.”
Thing One passes out from the pain, but I’m certain I didn’t kill him... At least, I don’t think so.
The king squats next to the man to feel for a pulse. When he finds one, he nods approvingly. He peers up at me. “Before you strike, do you have intent on the injury you’re looking to accomplish?”
