The Hellhound's Un-Christmas Miracle - Zoe Chant Page 0,58
with and at odds with a deep and unyielding focus. It filled her from heart to fingertips, driving away the rancid maggot-touch of Parker’s power.
Parker’s snout whipped around, teeth bared. *What was that?*
Sheena didn’t reply. Not because she didn’t know the answer—well, maybe a bit—but mostly because the bitter-clover-sweet boiling inside her was expanding past her skin now. It crept out in bursts and sparks. It should have looked like whatever was happening to Parker, like her skin was splitting apart, but instead it felt…
She looked past Parker and met Fleance’s gaze. The air between them crackled.
The hell with Parker, and packs, and alphas, and all the shifter mythos she’d spent her life happily not knowing.
Fleance was hers, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take him away from her.
HIM, her inner animal roared inside her head. Thunder? This was the whole storm. HE TRIED TO TAKE OUR MATE FROM US!
She glared down at Parker. Down? she thought, How am I looking down at him?
That one moment of distraction was just enough for her inner animal to take control.
It lunged forward, fire streaming from its nostrils. Parker lurched away and Sheena’s hooves cut into the gravel where he’d been. Her teeth snapped together a hand’s breadth from his tail.
*What?* Parker’s eyes narrowed and his power tightened around Sheena’s limbs. At least it tried to. Her animal sneered and shook it off. *How is this possible?*
How is it possible? Sheena wondered, as amazed as he was.
Fleance’s voice flickered against her mind, hushed and rough-edged but wonderful. *Sheena, you’re…*
*Enough!* Parker raged. *What is this? Some kind of trick?* His power twisted around Sheena again. This time she barely needed to shrug to get rid of it. *What are you?*
*What you made me,* she reminded him. But that couldn’t be entirely true, because she wasn’t tripping over her feet anymore. And she’d landed on hooves, not paws…
Parker’s lip curled. *I had nothing to do with this… this… monstrosity!*
*You’re one to talk,* she retorted, *you mangy, moth-eaten dishrag! I’m—*
She stopped. What was she? Not a sheep anymore. Surely. A hellhound? But she was looking down on Parker now, not up like she had when she was a sheep or a hellhound. But she still felt all brimstone-fiery—but…
*You’re incredible.* Fleance’s voice stopped her runaway train of thought. *Look.*
He sidestepped to the edge of one of the still pools. Keeping one wary eye on Parker, who was still muttering to himself, Sheena followed him.
Untold years of silica had built up around the pool’s edges in a vibrant orange, but the water itself was crystal clear. Sheena checked Parker’s position again—Fleance was standing protectively between her and the other hellhound, but his sides were still heaving as he obviously tried to ignore his injuries—and looked down into the water.
She had no idea what she was looking at.
HA HA, said the storm inside her head. JUST AS I EXPECTED!
So, what exactly is it I’m looking at, Sheena asked it before her silence could stretch out too long.
DON’T YOU RECOGNIZE ME? IT’S ME! AT LAST! The reflection puffed up. MY TRUE, INNER, MAGNIFICENT SELF!
Sheena’s eyes widened. Internally. The glowing pits in the reflection stayed shiny—and burning—with smug glee.
Her inner self? Beneath the thunder and lightning, the animal did sound like… her sheep. And…
She looked closer at the reflection in the pool.
Beneath the flames spouting from her mouth and nostrils, behind the eyes like twin pits to Hell itself and under the dark smoke that coiled from her coat like she was smuggling dry ice…
A big-eyed face covered in curly black hair. Two soft ears and two curling dark horns twisting over where her hair turned white on the rest of her head and body.
Her sheep, but massive. Still adorable, also on fire. Not a hellhound, a… hellsheep?
HELLSHEEP! YES! THAT’S ME!
You’re very loud, Sheena thought at it, feeling ever so slightly overwhelmed.
GOOD!
*Having fun ogling yourself in the mirror, Snow White?* Parker sneered. *That’s enough. You’re still mine. Whatever you are.* His voice prickled with opportunity. *A hellhound-sheep hybrid? Looks like I can turn other shifters after all. Now that’s interesting. If I can do the same to other shifters… Might end up a bit of a menagerie but hell, everyone’s banging on about diversity these days…
The hellsheep snorted out brimstoney smoke. HE’S RIGHT. ENOUGH! WE SHALL END THIS!
Parker’s voice wormed around her legs like slithering chains. *Trot on over here, girlie.*
*You said you would let her go!* Fleance growled.
His uncle blinked at him, slow and condescending. *If you’ll recall, kiddo,