The smell of burnt cotton drifted up to my nose. I cocked my head as I searched for clues to what Alvin held. The air around him crackled. I stiffened. The scent of ozone blossomed between us.
Ness groaned behind me. I couldn’t turn and check on her. Alvin rushed me. I dodged his first blow, but the second one grazed my side. Searing heat raced up my ribs. The beast in me savored the pain. I let it fuel my rage.
Heedless of Alvin’s weapon, I reached for his throat. He brought the invisible blade down onto my forearm. My skin blistered and burned. The smell was almost unbearable. It dredged up memories better left buried.
I sank into them. I saw my father’s face again. The smell of my own body burning assaulted my senses. I could feel his lightning coursing through my body. I’d gritted my teeth through the pain so I could deliver the final blow.
He’d left his scars on me. The path of his lightning marked my shoulders and back. Every mirror reminded me of what I’d done in the name of justice. Justice felt like a lie. It ripped my soul to shreds.
One would think that my broken soul would allow me to do what needed to be done again. I closed my hand around Alvin’s throat as the world came back into focus. His lips twisted in a snarl. He gripped my wrist with one hand and lifted the other to bring that invisible blade down again.
I caught his forearm and twisted. He hissed and dropped the blade. I thought the fight would end there, but Alvin was undeterred. His form morphed beneath my hands. Skin turned to fur as he fell out of my grasp.
I corrected my stance and threw up my arms to prepare against Alvin’s attack. He didn’t come at me from the front, though. The wolf quickly scrambled around behind me. His teeth grazed my side. I jerked out of the way so that he caught nothing but my shirt.
Lacing my fingers together, I brought my combined fists down onto Alvin’s head. He crumpled, but only for a second before leaping away once more. He put space between us so he could prowl while he awaited an opening.
So long as I didn’t give him one, this fight was over.
I could have shifted and eaten him in one bite. There was a reason dragons usually stayed out of the business of other shifters. I didn’t want to cause any more of a scene in Lakesedge. This town didn’t need a storm dragon causing trouble in their streets.
I could end it.
I was making excuses. The beast reminded me that this could be easy. The beast had no qualms about causing a scene. It had no reservations when it came to killing Alvin once and for all.
My indecision created an opening. Alvin attacked. His teeth sank into the back of my thigh. I snarled. My beast lashed its tail angrily. I had the power to stop this. I could end Alvin.
But I did not want to be the one to do it. No more blood on my hands. This did not have to end in death.
Right?
I reached back and grabbed Alvin by the scruff of his neck. Pain flared hot across the back of my thigh when I ripped him off me. His teeth tore through my flesh, but I had no other option.
With the wolf in my grasp, I threw him. He rocketed down the street, out of sight.
My chest heaved. That wouldn’t kill him, but it would give us all time to leave. I turned and marched over to Ness. She’d collapsed beside her father.
“Get up,” I growled at the man as I gathered his daughter in my arms.
Self-loathing churned in the pit of my stomach, but I kept it off my face. I held Ness tightly so that she couldn’t look up, just in case she could see through me.
I could have ended this.
So, why didn’t I?