Would it go that way? I sure as hell hoped so.
The lower ranking shifters cleared out. Alvin knocked one grinning shifter’s head into his brother’s. They staggered before spinning to follow Alvin. The yard steadily emptied save for Ness, the broken wolf, and the Alpha’s son.
Had they forgotten about me? I focused my anger on the Alpha’s son. Before I could take two steps, the Alpha’s son put his boot on the broken shifter’s back again.
Ness cried out. She jumped forward to help her friend, but the Alpha’s son grabbed her by the chin and yanked her off balance. He snarled in her face. The sound he made became low and hungry.
I glanced down to the shifter on the ground. Though his face had been brutalized, I sensed that he was just as angry as I was. The shifter gave a nearly imperceptible nod of his head.
Given the green light, I surged forward. I wound an arm around Ness’s middle to pull her away from the Alpha’s son. As I twisted to put myself between them, I struck out with my free hand. My knuckles collided with the boy’s nose.
He staggered backwards. A flow of blood rushed from his nostrils. It cascaded over his lips and dripped down his chin as he leveled a hot glare in my direction.
Above, a new storm gathered.
“Your father doesn’t give a shit about you if he left you alone with me,” I said. I rolled my shoulders. My beast filled me with power that gathered in my muscles.
The Alpha’s son howled with rage. He stormed away, much to my confusion. He didn’t leave, though. The Alpha’s son grabbed an axe from a nearby stump and faced us.
I rushed to the beaten man on the ground and pulled him away just as the Alpha’s son brought the axe down. The blade slammed into the bloodied earth. The Alpha’s son let his rage get the better of him. He roared and pulled the axe from the ground.
“Harvey,” Ness snapped. “Don’t fight a battle you can’t win!”
Ness needed to pick her words better. Red-hot light flared in Harvey’s eyes. He rocked away from me and turned on her. When he raised the axe to strike her, I snatched it from his grasp. He staggered, off balance. I brought the butt of the axe down onto his nose.
That man’s face would never be straight again.
He fumbled and dropped to his knees. I thought he would stay there, but he launched himself off the ground at me. He slammed, full force, into my solar plexus and shoved me back.
Ness shouted at us, but her friend staggered to his feet and stood between her and the fight. The edges of my vision turned red once I knew she was safe. I balled my fist and slammed it into Harvey’s face.
He didn’t let go. His fingers lengthened. Claws pierced my skin. My breath hissed as I inhaled in pain. If I pulled on my dragon, I could harden my skin. Would the Alpha see that as an attack? Did it even matter at this point? I’d already attacked his son.