There were plenty of reasons to do just that. She’d nearly allowed Zane to die. She’d victimized Plum Beach by gruesomely killing its inhabitants; she’d experimented on unsuspecting men, turning them into inhuman creatures; captured and tormented countless mutant women; and she’d ensured that a little boy spent a portion of his life in a secured mental hospital.
If those weren’t reasons enough, the fact remained I despised her.
Looking into her eyes before I destroyed her seemed appropriate. On some level I understood that I should perform another mental trick like I had on Martin and be done with it, but an unfamiliar burning sensation swept through me, igniting a blaze of rage I wasn’t certain I could douse, nor was I sure I wanted to.
Ignoring the sensible voice telling me to grab the whistle and return to the others, I took a tentative step away from the school. But before I could advance further, a chilling wind gust swept through the tree branches, whipping through my hair. As I inhaled the resulting crisp fragrance, Jazmine did the same. She kept her face lifted, sniffing.
I knew before she spun to face me she’d smelled me.
Convinced of my ability to overpower her with my mental magic, I strode forward, feeling for the first time in my life, invincible.
She shifted with such speed; I failed to see the usual vibration preceding the change.
A biblical warning my stepdad often quoted flashed through my mind in the moment before she sprang.
Pride cometh before a fall.
My pride was about to get me killed.
Chapter 4930
Several unforeseen events happened at once.
All surrounding movement shifted seamlessly into slow motion. Including Jazmine arcing through the air, making me think of Logan before James McQuillen cut his life short; saving mine in the process.
This time no one was waiting in the wings to rescue me.
I was alone, and to make things worse, I felt something altering inside me.
My mating marks were alive, animated. A fiery ring of heat swirled insistently around my ankle igniting something unfamiliar yet exhilarating. I acknowledged the warm sensations spreading up my legs and expanding through my torso.
My head tingled like a million tiny pins were pricking my scalp in a perfect chorus. An image of my hair separating from my head threatened to send me into hysterics despite my looming death.
Even more bizarre, what looked like ripples of water floated past me in a fuzzy haze, reminding me of the strange vibrations that occurred before the werewolves shifted forms.
No. It wasn’t possible. How?
In answer, my body bowed forward, knocking me to my hands and knees. The warmth flooding through me was no longer pleasant, and was scorching me from within.
If blood could boil, mine was.
Throbbing pain racked every nerve, muscle, and bone in my body as I felt myself split apart, reshaping and reforming into something not me, something not human.
I lifted my head and howled just in time to see Jazmine plow into my crouching form, sending me flying.
The next seconds were a blur of fur and teeth.
Animal instinct took over as we rolled across the grassy field fighting for dominance. Frantic, I sought my mental powers, praying they were still accessible.
They were.
Using them, I slammed into Jazmine’s mind paralyzing her like a fly trapped in a spider’s web. My teeth sank into flesh and her blood flooded my mouth, increasing my lust for vengeance.
She shuddered then stilled. The faintest heartbeat remained.
The human part of me hesitated, feeling like I’d cheated and fought dirty, but I quickly focused on the evil she’d birthed and the lives she’d destroyed. She’d never agree to surrender, nor would she cease her villainous agenda.
There was no choice. Not anymore.
Picturing her brutalized victims, I clamped down, pressing my fangs deeper into her neck and shaking my muzzle. I could feel the now sporadic beat of her heart as it slowed, and then stopped altogether, her life force at last extinguished.
Afraid she might somehow rejuvenate herself I refused to relax my hold.
“Jazmine, oh God, no!”
Martin’s sharp cry served as the signal for me to stop. Releasing my grip, I swung my head around meeting Martin’s eyes with my own.
He took a step back, another, and looked at the pavement near the car. Keeping his eyes trained on me, he crouched, and using both hands, began sweeping the fallen items into a heap.
With my improved werewolf vision, or whatever it was I’d become, a glint of something shiny caught my attention.
The coins! Of course! They were trying to escape with