Chapter 102 Christina's Plea

Chapter 102 Christina's Plea
Elliott was coughing under the rubble. Before he could move, I pulled him up by his shirt and roared right in his face before punching him so hard, I felt the bone move under my knuckles.
He laughed, spitting blood onto the floor.
"Can't believe I'm seeing this, Zephyrus," he gasped, his teeth stained pink. "You striking the man who once…"
I didn't let him finish before hitting him again. Then again. And again, each hit making a horrible, wet sound.

Elliott's head flew back as blood poured from his nose. His healing factor was slow to kick in due to his old age, so every hit he felt, he felt like a human. 
Soon, his laughter turned into a choking sound, and the cocky smile on his lips withered. 
I was barely even aware of how ragged my breathing had gotten, my heart beating like crazy as I pummelled Sinclair's face. 

The sound of boots pounding on the tile made me turn my head. Guards rushed in through the door, some of them with their weapons drawn but still looking a bit uncertain.
Christina was in front of them, crying. She pushed past her men and dropped to her knees next to her dad.
"Zephyr, please!" she cried. "You'll kill him!"
I stood up, breathing hard, my hands covered in blood that wasn't even mine.
Glaring around the room, I locked eyes with the wolves she'd sent to stop me.
They flinched, falling a step back. 

My inner beast called to me to handle these motherfuckers. 

"Let me out," it said in a language only I could understand. "It'll only take a minute."

But it didn't seem worth it. When I was in my full Lycan form and ready for battle, there was no end to my rage, no limit to the brutal ways I could kill. And these fools didn't deserve that. They were only following orders.
So instead, I let the partial shift happen.
My claws grew out, my teeth lengthened into fangs, and black fur covered my body. 
Everyone stared in utter horror.

Christina was crying, trying to lift Elliott, whose face was a bloody mess but who remained conscious.
I growled, glaring at them.
"Get away from him and keep your men back," I warned. "Unless you want more bodies on the floor tonight."
Christina met my gaze, her eyes begging for me to stop.
"Please, Zephyr," she whispered. "Enough."
"Enough?" I scoffed. "Your family has done nothing but hurt mine. Don't make me repeat myself. Call your men off."
She looked at me like I'd lost my mind, then her eyes hardened.
"Put him down," she ordered her men.

For a moment, everything was perfectly still. Then one of them raised his weapon and fired. The bullet slammed into my shoulder, and I gritted my teeth, hissing in pain.
It burned like hell.
Silver.
A werewolf's weakness. I needed to be careful.
Before he could fire again, I was on him, knocking the gun from his hands and slamming him into the wall.
Baring my fangs, I bit down hard on his shoulder, ripping into his tendon roughly. 

He screamed in horror, and I flung him into the others. They staggered back, stunned.
Some of them began to shift. But I didn't have the patience to wait for them to finish.
I wasn't a sadist here to enjoy the show.
My eyes darted around the ruined room, hunting for anything to use.
I spotted a broken table leg and snatched it up.
Swinging it like a bat, I smashed it over the head of a half-shifted wolf. It yowled and fell sideways, knocking another to the ground.
It would have been funny if I weren't so pissed.

Another wolf lunged at me from behind, sinking its fangs into my back.
I rammed my head backward into his face, then spun and punched him in the gut.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Christina dragging her father away toward the exit.
Incensed, I finished off the wolf in front of me, only to turn just in time to block one set of jaws with my forearm.
Fangs dug into my flesh, but I didn't care.
I bared my own teeth, my glowing red eyes challenging it. 
They wanted a monster. I'd fucking give them one.

With a roar, I sent a knee to his midsection and felt ribs crack. He grunted in pain, stumbling back.
Not giving the wimp the chance to recover, I raised my claws and slashed across his chest.
He turned away and bolted. 
The rest fell quickly after that. They fought, but none of them was a match for me.
Yelps of pain broke through the air, bodies hit the ground, filling the room until finally, it went quiet.
The floor was littered with groaning, unconscious wolves, and blood stained everywhere. 

I took a quick look at the bullet wound in my shoulder and winced. The bullet was still stuck inside, sizzling against my skin. Poisoning my blood. Slowing my healing.
But I wasn't going anywhere until I was sure Elliott didn't have the doll anymore and until he was dead.
Stalking out of the wrecked room, I made my way into the hallway where Christina and Elliott had fled. 
Halfway down the stairs, I heard the sound of an engine come to life.

Sprinting to the nearest window that overlooked the front lot, I looked down to see Christina trying to escape with her father.
Without wasting time, I smashed through the window in a shower of glass and hit the ground hard, but rolled to my feet instantly.
They spotted me. Even through the rearview mirror, I could see the terror in both their eyes as Christina pressed down on the accelerator.

That's right, fuckers. Better be scared. 

I gave in to my beast, shifting to my full form as I chased after them, growing faster, stronger, and unstoppable.
With a huge, powerful leap, I landed right in front of the speeding car and let out a deafening roar… a primal sound that had Christina screaming in fear and shaking her head. 
She jerked the wheel in panic, and the car swerved wildly before crashing into a massive tree.

Walking over to the scene, I yanked open Elliott's door before forcing myself back into my human form.
Christina, who had come around, was screaming his name as I dragged him out of the wreckage.
He was disoriented, blinking up at me in a daze. The bruises and gashes from the beating I'd given him earlier had begun to close, but the marks and dried blood still marked his face.
I slapped him hard, and he sucked in a shaky breath, his eyes flying open.

"Focus, Elliott," I snarled. "Where’s the doll?"
He wheezed, trying to shift away, but I grabbed his collar, dragging him upright.
"Don’t bother lying to me again," I growled. "I know you didn’t destroy it."
He coughed, looking at me. "How are you so sure?"
"Because I know you, Elliott," I said coldly. "I know how you think. You don’t destroy things you can use later."
There was the briefest change in his stare, and that was all I needed.

"You’re the kind of bastard who keeps a loaded gun under the table just in case. You wouldn’t throw away a trump card that powerful, not when it could buy you time, protection, favors, or my mercy."
I watched his face pale and tighten.
Christina came rushing toward us, breathing hard and afraid. She attempted to reach for her father, but my growl of warning stopped her.

Ignoring her sobs, I focused on him again. "Now, tell me where it is, or you die here and now.” I paused to correct myself. “Well, actually, you’re going to die either way. That part isn’t negotiable." My frown deepened. "But you get to choose how. Quick and clean, or slow enough that you’ll pray for death long before it comes. I promise you that."

"Dad, please, talk!" Christina interrupted, weeping profusely. "Just tell him."
Elliott swallowed hard, sweating despite the cool air. He licked his lips, buying himself time, but I could see the panic in his eyes.
"I’ll ask you one last time, Elliott. Don’t test me." I said with a death glare. "Where. Is. The. Fucking. Doll?"