I was still on the grass, waiting for an opportunity, when my wolf lunged to the surface with no warning whatsoever. She barreled into my psyche like a hammer exploding down on a nail, demanding control in a rush of power. My arms shot forward and I sprang onto the balls of my feet.
She wasn’t going to take no for an answer this time.
With gigantic effort, I forced myself to my knees in the grass. I was furious. Goddamn it, I’m not going to lose control again! Do you hear me? This is my body and we do what I say when I say it! I plunged my hands into the earth hard enough to break all my nails to the quick. I clutched at the dirt like a life-line, trying to ground myself in my humanness. As she fought for control I closed my eyes and pushed back as hard as I could. I couldn’t let my wolf take control, it wasn’t an option. If she ruled me, I could kiss my life goodbye.
My arms trembled with the need to change, my muscles shifting under my skin. I clenched my teeth. I couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to think I could come here tonight. I was a newborn. A ticking time bomb. I had no control. What was I doing here?
I opened my eyes and glanced frantically around me. I had to get out of here. Right now. Nick could handle Drake by himself. I wrenched a hand out of the earth and was about to push the vibrate button twice, when Jen’s childish sound of alarm rent the air.
Drake had made his move.
I spotted them quickly. He had her around the waist. Jen was struggling, fighting for her life. In his anxiousness, he must have dropped his persuasion over her. Either that or he just wasn’t strong enough to manage both girls at the same time after all.
There was no way I was letting sweet, blue-sundressed Jen become Drake’s latest victim.
No more time to think; I had to act. I closed my eyes once again, and with all the power I could gather I grabbed my human side and shoved it into the forefront of my mind in one massive mental heave. My wolf rose against the tide, snapping and growling, doing her best to block my human instincts as she fought for her own. She wanted to win.
But I wanted it more.
Beads of sweat broke out along my skin, prickling my fore-head. I continued forcing the pressure forward, making it count, not relenting. It was like pushing against a giant rubber band, I had no idea if I was gaining ground. It bowed one way, and then back the other, as we both fought hard for command. I threw one more shock of energy into it and a loud tearing sound reverberated along my senses, like a massive sheet of paper being ripped in half. My mind pulled apart like a photo negative, one side gray, the other side black. Both still the same image, but now fully separate.
No time to worry about it.
I was in control and that was all that mattered.
I jumped up and started moving. I’m in the driver’s seat now, got it? She was still in my mind, but now she sat just behind an opaque film that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Fighting humans and imps is mine, I told her as I slid between the parked cars. You can have the nasty werewolves.
She let out a howl of frustration.
We’re searching for harmony here, so feel free to help a girl out. I stopped and crouched lower. I was one car length from Drake and Jen. He had a grimy hand covering her mouth and one solidly around her middle. He was fully occupied.
I shimmied to the edge of the fender. As much as I was aching to jump in right away, I had to be patient. We had to pin Drake with everything we could. If I jumped too early, especially since he had the gift of persuasion, he could easily convince Jen that nothing had happened and get away scot-free. I couldn’t risk that.
Jen bravely kicked and slammed her head into his shoulder over and over. She was fighting a good fight. It was all I could do not to attack then and there. Drake was obviously struggling to keep his hold. He finally grabbed her face and hissed something in her ear. She stopped moving instantly.
He hurried her back toward his car.
I followed closely, keeping myself low and out of sight. I spotted Nick across the road. He was right on time, whistling something under his breath, making a good show of a man heading back to his car from a night at the movies. Drake saw him immediately and arched himself around, Jen still in his arms, changing his plans instantly. He started toward the knoll to get out of sight, just like we’d thought.
Drake, although not full on brains, would’ve had a loose plan in place. If he failed to get his victim to his car in time, the hill would provide a cover from any human interference. That’s why he’d picked this particular theater complex.
Only he had no idea that the only female werewolf on the fucking planet was coming after him.
The moment he disappeared from sight I took off. There was a small cry followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. I jumped the curb, leaping into the air, clearing the knoll in one jump. Drake was already on top of her. From my angle, it wasn’t clear if he was trying to keep her quiet or if he was going to satiate himself right then and there.
It didn’t matter, because I was on him one beat later.
I hit him hard, smashing into him from the side, and we both went flying. “Take that, asshole,” I growled. I rolled once and was back on my feet. Drake readied himself just as quickly, snarling at me, flashing a set of stained, yellowed teeth that looked remarkably sharp.
Hmm, maybe he had a bit more imp in him than we’d previously considered.
He let out an enraged yowl and came at me with impressive speed, but he wasn’t nearly as fast as I was. When he was within an arm’s length of me, I swung my right leg around and connected with his ribs. They popped with a satisfying crack and he flew backward ten feet in the air.
My wolf gave a delighted yip. See, I’m not a pansy. You’re going to have to start trusting me.
Despite his injury, Drake was up and on me again. “You little bitch,” he hissed. “I’m going to make you hurt for that.”
He seemed to have increased strength, as well as persuasion. I was now a hundred percent certain Drake Jensen was genetically more imp than human. If I hadn’t just become a full-blooded wolf, I was pretty sure he would have the upper hand and my ass would’ve been in serious trouble.
I needed more strength.
I made a split-second decision and opened myself a little to my wolf. I cracked the opaque barrier a tiny bit and she gleefully burned through me, pumping me with more strength, giving me a satisfied growl in return.
Drake came at us again, and I dodged him easily. He wheeled around, changing his direction quickly. I braced myself for the impact and we both exploded to the ground. He landed on top, grinning down at me, mistakenly thinking he’d caught a lucky break. He threw a punch, connecting hard with my left shoulder. It rocked me into the dirt, but as he recoiled to throw another punch, putting space between us, I shimmied my knees up under him and rolled back on my hips. I threw him off in a rush, crossing my fingers that he would hit something hard. I jumped to my feet.
My shoulder hitched for a second, healing from the blow. Another shot of adrenaline raced through me, courtesy of my wolf. The surge of new power was more than the small opening I’d just made could sustain for any length of time. The little crack was on track to become a gaping fissure. With my new infusion of strength, I felt fire kindle in my irises. I was certain they were blazing full yellow.
Drake lunged at me again, feral madness in his own eyes. I spun quickly, pivoting back around, bringing my arm up. Using the power in my upper body as a fulcrum, I smashed my fist into his face as we collided.
Drake’s face imploded in on itself as he flew backward, crashing directly into the small tree behind him, shaking it to its roots. He slid down the base, collapsing into a scumbag heap on the ground.