the perfect blend of monster and man the Last Change created, often referenced in the movies. This was grotesque. This was unnatural.
And there were two of them.
No. I killed one of the twins. There’s no fucking way.
“You seemed surprised to see me,” the wolf growled, drool falling from his mouth as he spoke. The words weren’t clear, slurred and stunted by the wrong set of teeth. Unlike Wesley, this guy didn’t talk much with an inhuman mouth and wasn’t used to it.
“I…”
“Killed me?” he asked. He didn’t walk on his hind legs, bending over and walking unnaturally on the weird hand-paws he had on his arm-legs. “You wish.”
I readied my sword, holding it in front of my body.
I will not be prey.
“I don’t wish. I’ll just try harder this time.”
He pounced, and I jumped back, bringing my talwar down to cut his shoulder before he darted away.
“I like games with small animals,” he taunted, the wolf grin reinforcing his words.
“I like games, too. One could say I’m a big game hunter.”
We circled. His strange gait was interesting. He moved fluidly, practiced. He knew what he was doing in this fucked up half-Change. He was not wolf or man or even their final form when they lost control.
Is this why Hasan had you kept in the prison? Or is it something else? Like how you’re still alive when I watched you die.
“Why are you trying to kill me?” I asked loudly, hoping to learn anything while he toyed with me. “You know if you succeed, others will hunt you down like the fucking rabid dogs you are.”
“A new lease on life after over eight hundred years for my brother and me is more important than your pathetic life.” He lunged, and I jumped back.
“Move!” Raphael yelled. I ducked and rolled, letting the second wolf fly by and land on the concrete. He was up on his feet in the blink of an eye. Raphael ran by next, leaping for it. They collided like two trains, bones crunching and fur flying. Blood splattered on the roof, mixing with water and ice, hitting the wall of the rooftop access.
My werewolf jumped for me during the commotion, and I moved again, knowing I couldn’t let him get his hands on me, but I was slow. The storm was cold, making me sluggish and fogging my mind. My injuries, while not painful, made my muscles even stiffer.
A strange hand grabbed me and tossed me toward the concrete wall that already had a beautiful display of blood splatter on it. This time, when my head hit, I heard a crack. Dizziness washed over me as my own blood began to fall down over my face. My sword was gone, and I didn’t get much time to try to find it.
Claws raked into my hair, and I bit back a scream as I was pulled to my feet.
“If this is what the Tribunal hires as their killers, they’ll be easy to overthrow one day. Then I’m going to wipe out the werecats and every other pathetic, weak species that dares think they’re my fucking equal,” the wolf snarled. He wrapped his second hand around my neck. I saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes as he squeezed, giving me a slow, painful death. I clawed at his arms.
I reached for a sidearm and pulled a gun, glad I was armed to the teeth. I fired two rounds into the werewolf’s stomach, and he snarled, slamming me back into the wall by my neck. I continued to fire, aiming further up with my last two.
The hand went limp, and I fell as the wolf did. I groaned as I hit the roof and was covered in freezing water and blood. I groped the wall next to me and pulled myself to my feet, knowing this wasn’t over until I killed Levi. It wouldn’t stop the storm immediately, but it would help the natural weather systems push it out and let it die.
I made it three steps, hissing as I picked up my sword. My lungs hurt. I wiped the blood from my eyes.
I just needed to make it to Levi and kill him. Raphael could keep the other wolf busy. Even with my ears ringing, I heard the deadly fight between him and the second twin.
I made it another two steps, having to pass by the dead werewolf when something grabbed my ankle.
I was pulled down, trying to break the fall with my elbows, sending pain radiating up