55. Tálstrom
I surge forward as Simon relinquishes his control over our shape, shifting so swiftly that my prey have no idea that the hunters have now become the hunted.
I’m on them before they can blink, charging into them so hard that one is knocked flying while the other falls beneath my paws. I lash out at the blond lion beneath me, each claw-tipped swipe rending his hide and sending droplets of blood flying through the air. I don’t even bother trying to clamp my jaws around his throat, as the angle is all wrong, and I need to keep them both away from Isobel and Arina.
Spinning around, I launch after the other lion, slamming into him before he can reach the stairs. I herd him away from the house, splitting my attention between the two hybrids. A quick glance over at Quin’s tiger demonstrates that he has things well in hand. They’re both on the defensive and faring badly, with strips of skin already hanging from their bodies. The larger of the two even appears to be lame already, one of his hind legs drawn up close to his body and dripping blood everywhere.
Content that Quin has things well in hand on that front, I return my attention to my own foes. Their misshapen and deformed limbs are a hindrance rather than a help in their attempts to defeat me, even though they do outnumber me. I don’t know if it’s because Quin already had a couple of weeks’ worth of experience with his third form under his belt, or if it’s because his hybrid form, while alarming and terrifying to initially behold, also has a natural, fluid grace to his movements. Corbin and L?nnberg, on the other hand, are as unsteady on their two feet as a baby learning how to walk. However, they’re also unpredictable, and I need to keep both eyes on them if I want to keep them contained. The last thing any of us need is for one of them to get past me and hooking their claws into Isobel or Arina.
I’m so busy keeping the two hybrids occupied with fighting for their lives, that I forget about the fifth person in this stand-off. The one who has shown herself to not only be highly dangerous, but also malicious, vindictive, and narcissistic enough to hurt an innocent woman and infant to satisfy her own selfish wants.
It’s an oversight I’ll regret to my dying day.